Belonging
by writerzero
Summary: With the passing of time things change, resulting in Beast Boy no longer feeling as if he's a part of the team. When a strangely familiar, yet long forgotten, face from his childhood calls, he sets out to find out just who he is, and where he comes from. The story will end as BBxR, though there will be other pairings before that point.
1. Chapter 1

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes:_

_A few ideas I've had tossing around in my head on how Beast Boy can defy the laws of science by shape shifting into different size animals. And is the Sakutia virus the real reason his skin is green? While it won't be BBxR at the start, that is, I assure you, where it will end. At least unless the story twists on me. *crosses fingers* There will be other pairing before it comes to that though._

_Time: Around a year after Things Change. Excludes Trouble in Tokyo_

* * *

_**The New and Improved Cinderblock,... The Dream of Home,... Waking,...**_

With a heavy heart Beast Boy watched while his friends battled the supervillain known as Cinderblock. Things had changed over the last year; the Titans had grown a little, as had the villains. For their current foe, once made solely of concrete, the changes had been pretty dramatic. No one, except perhaps the criminal himself, knew how it'd happened, but he'd grown at least three feet and was now composed mostly of titanium reinforced granite. _On the bright side. _The silent boy mused. _He's still as dumb as ever._ However, the days when he could challenge the sturdy construct as an elephant were gone. Taking a deep sigh, he continued to pay attention to every detail just in case there was some minor way in which he could help.

"Out of the way." Cyborg called to his fellow teammates. "I'm cooled off and ready to go sonic on his behind again."

"Okay friend Cyborg." Starfire yelled, letting loose with one last flurry of starbolts before she rose above the villain.

There was the sound of a sonic boom, and the titanium armored foe staggered backwards. Shaking its head, it reached down for an already demolished car that it sent towards the tall cybernetic teen. It was smashed to one side by a giant black fist that came out nowhere.

"Thanks." Cyborg hollered.

"No problem." Came the monotone reply from Raven who, acting as defense, hovered above the battlefield.

Frustrated, the colossal giant moved towards the T-car where the cybernetic Titan was hooked into the vehicle's power supply. By depending on the much greater energy it could provide the teen's sonic cannon had quadruple the power; however, it came at the cost of a fifty-second cool-down period. As the villain approached, Cyborg slowly backed his love and joy away from certain destruction.

"My turn again." Starfire joyfully hollered, dropping low to once again smite the lumbering stone construct with starbolts. As the battle plan dictated, she aimed for the eyes. Easily distracted, the dull-witted villain turned away from the T-car to face the more nimble threat whose attacks were vastly more annoying. Fumbling in the air, it was clearly half blind.

"Come on." Boy Wonder yelled, almost making it sound like a curse, as he tossed three explosive discs. "What does it take to bring this guy down?"

Ripping up a telephone pole, Cinderblock tried to use it like a fly swatter, or rather like a Starfire-swatter.

The shattered remains the of vehicle Raven had just smashed aside seconds before turned dark, and rose in the air. As the telephone pole was swung time and time again, it was always blocked by the poor car that lost more and more parts with each savage blow; eventually it just fell apart. _Guess that's another fifty or so thousand we owe the city. _The silent empath mused as she searched for another shield. She skipped over the Koenigsegg Agera S, which was worth more than a million, to choose the MAZDA3 which had a more palatable price tag of a mere fifteen grand. After they'd got into a fight with Gizmo near an auto show, their fearless leader, who'd been white as a ghost at the time, had sat them down to talk about expenses. _How was I supposed to know a Lamborghini Veneno Roadster cost more than five million? _The girl wondered apathetically, as she used the drastically cheaper MAZDA3 to continue blocking the make-shift club their foe swung with wild abandon.

Trusting her teammate to defend against any attacks, the Tamaranean focused on pouring forth her righteous fury at her foe. Other than making the rampaging criminal blink, and shake its head a little, the blasts of green energy that came from both her hands and eyes seemingly washing over it with no affect.

"Ready in five." Cyborg called out. "Three ... Two ... One..." When Starfire was clear he let loose with his sonic cannon again. This time the walking mountain actually fell down. Though it slowly struggled back to its feet, it was a sign that the end of the fight was near.

Beast Boy studied the villain. The concrete was now granite. That, along with the increase in height made Cinderblock twice, or probably closer to three, times as heavy as he'd originally been. Then there was the titanium. Spikes of it jutted through the massive form, essentially reinforcing it. The super-hard material covered his hands, becoming pointed at the knuckles; if they hadn't been deadly before, they certainly were now. Spikes of it also covered the one-man, or at least one-something, walking wrecking-ball.

The shape shifter frowned as he looked at those spikes. Going hand-to-hand meant being impaled on those barbed tips, which would be sheer suicide; ramming as an elephant now would just earn him a one-way ticket to the afterlife. That meant only long ranged attacks could be used so, as a team, they'd devised a new strategy. Cyborg and Starfire would go full out attacking, while Raven would play the defense. Robin would rush in once in a while to add to the firepower by throwing explosive discs. It took time, but twice before they'd use it to handle the extremely durable villain.

_I can't even throw discs. _The boy fumed, looking down at the claws that adorned the tips of his fingers. His hands just weren't suited for throwing, and when you were missing around with explosives ... He sighed, letting his eyes take in every detail as the battle continued; he had a role to play too, even if it'd never been required. Should any of the others be hurt, he was to rush in and pull them to safety. Thankfully he'd never had to do that, yet it gnawed at him. He felt so useless, and wanted to do something, anything, other than watch... But the one thing he could do meant one of the others would have to get hurt, which he would never actually wish for, yet in the thought there was a sense of guilt.

"Ready." Came Cyborg's voice again, followed by the sound of a sonic blast. Cinderblock stumbled, and went down to his knees before staggering upright again.

"Blast it." Robin yelled, making a daring rush in to toss three freeze discs at their foe. "I'm outta explosives, again!" The angry boy fumed, screaming red-faced up at the lumbering giant who paid him no heed. "You have any idea how long it takes me to make those?" When facing the new and improved Cinderblock that was usually the case. Sometimes he even ran out of freeze discs as well.

"He will fall soon." Starfire yelled, dropping down in front of the villain who was still lurching forward, seemingly driven by some unknown need to wreak havoc. Bolts of green energy reached out for the rampaging giant's eyes once again.

_Three more blasts from that souped-up cannon. _Beast Boy automatically calculated. _In three minutes it'll be over. _He sighed, still keeping his attention focused on the fight. Sure, he'd done his fair share in orchestrating the battle plan, but he still wasn't part of the action. Watching, he saw Starfire rain down more starbolts around the villain's eyes. He'd suggested that, knowing keeping the creature blind would keep it from wandering too far, and lessen the damage it would do. He'd also pointed out that if Cyborg altered the frequency of the sonic cannon it might do more damage; that idea had come from video games he'd played. That Raven, who could create shields, and actually levitate cars as opposed to just throwing them, should play defense was obvious. He'd even suggested his own role in the strategy, or lack thereof.

"Ready in five." Came the voice of the cybernetic teen once more.

This time Cinderblock was on its knees for a whole twenty seconds before it managed to heave itself to its feet again. It had its left arm raised to shield its eyes, trying to avoid the starbolts that were now obviously causing it pain. On the verge of collapse, it moved forward several steps while it blindly search with its right arm for something to throw. It failed.

"Out of the way." Cyborg yelled.

The massive mountain of destruction shuddered beneath the sonic assault and collapsed. Still its hands moved as it struggled desperately to stand. It was back on its knees when a final blast of the sonic weapon sent it back to the ground, unconscious.

"Good work team." Robin yelled. "The authorities will be here in a few seconds." His reached down into the satchel that held his discs. "Now if only I didn't have to spend the night in the lab." He sighed, ignoring the large flatbed truck that pulled up.

Beast Boy moved to help the guards, who'd arrived in the truck, as they tried to attach chains to the overgrown villain. He was too late as Starfire lent her super strength to the task, while Raven infused her soul in the chains to manipulate them. Once again he was useless. Sighing, he took to the air as a peregrine falcon to follow the vehicle until it got to the prison. It was the only way to transport something the size of Cinderblock, but it also meant he could break free. The rest of the Titans followed as well; Starfire rode with him in the air, while the others used the T-car. All the while the mind of the shape shifter was focused one thing; I'm useless.

* * *

"Good work team." Robin spoke again once they were back at the Tower. Several time he looked towards the shape shifter, but left whatever he wanted to add unsaid.

_He's including me. _Beast Boy noted, reading their leader's expression. _He also knows I'm down about something, but doesn't know what to say. _"I'm going to my room." He spoke with artificial cheerfulness, heading towards the door. "Call me if anything happens."

"Will do." Robin assured him, smiling. "You know I think I can spare some time for a few video games. Want to play later?"

"Nay. I have stuff to do." The boy returned the smile. "Thanks thought." Feeling a bit better, he headed to his room. He knew their leader was out of explosive discs, and low on the freezing ones, yet was willing to spend time trying to cheer him up. The gesture was appreciated, and even made him feel more like a part of the team. That was something he'd been thinking a lot about lately; if he really belonged in Titans Tower playing the role of a Titan.

* * *

_'Useless?' _The unspoken word, laced with a hint of mirth, echoed in the sleeping boy's head. '_How could one such as yourself believe that?' _It asked in a tone that was both warm and comforting. '_Look at your flesh and tell me, what color do you see? Tell me, what color are your eyes?'_

The shape shifter looked up, knowing he'd fallen into the dream again; the same one he'd had once a night for more than a month now. Before him stood a woman whose emerald-green eyes stared piercingly into his own. Emotions he couldn't understand filled him, and he couldn't help but smile. '_Green.' _He replied without words. '_But you see, that's just due to something I caught as a kid.'_

_'I see.' _Came the amused reply as the woman's lips turned up in a smile. _'You've grown since that time.' _Her piercing gaze faded a little as she appeared to become lost in thought.

The boy sniffed the air, becoming lost in memory himself. _Africa. _He immediately knew looking around; already knowing what he would see. Trees! Lots of trees. There were several Red Stinkwoods that, while not tall, caused his nose to twitch as the familiar scent of bitter almonds embraced him. His smile deepened as he gazed at the small red fruit it bore. Though bitter to humans, which he knew from first-hand experience, it was a favored food for gorillas. _Wonder how they would taste if I tried them now that I can become a gorilla? _He mused. _If I ever end up back in Africa, I'll have to give it a try._ Scattered among them were several Rose Gum trees which, while tall, he knew were not native to the area. They were a cheerful green, and rose to over two-hundred feet, towering over the native plants.

_'Try some.' _The woman spoke into his mind. _'No need to wait.'_

Hesitantly, Beast Boy shifted into a gorilla, noting the woman didn't seem surprised at the transformation. Reaching out, he plucked several of the red fruit from a nearby Red Stinkwood and chewed them, enjoying the bitter though somehow sweet taste. _'Delicious_.' He told the woman, merely letting the reply rest in his thoughts without speaking.

_'I do enjoy them myself.' _She replied.

He focused his eyes back on the woman, wondering how a human could enjoy the bitter taste. Studying her athletic form, he noted she was a little on the short side, and was dressed in a plain green robe; while her short hair was mostly blonde, it was heavily tinted a light green. From her came a sense of agelessness, as if time had no meaning to her. _'I don't even know your name.' _He told her.

_'Names? With our bond does such have any meaning?' _The woman paused for a while. _'So many over the ages, but if you wish, call me Kishar.'_

'_Kishar_.' He echoed the name in his mind.

'_And what do I call you?' _She asked. _'Is it Garfield? Or perhaps Beast Boy?' _ A tiny smirk filled her face, and her eyes lit up with a hint of lighthearted merriment. _'Or perhaps you prefer Beast Man?' _She said in a tone that held a touch of humor.

_'Hmm. I think Beast Boy will do.' _The shape shifter gulped. Garfield was a name he no longer used, and somehow he knew if he told her Beast Man then she would break down in laughter.

_'I see. Beast Boy it is then.' _Her eyes looked around, peering behind the boy. '_Fitting I guess, since your room does look like a pigsty_. _Tell me, have you ever cleaned it?'_

The red-faced boy gulped again, realizing that if he could see where she was, she might very well be able to see where he was. _'Ummm...' _The only answer he had was a lie, and he didn't think he would get one past someone who could read minds, and who obviously knew him so well.

_'Thought not.' _Her eyes twinkled, and then faded as the dream ended.

* * *

Beast Boy blinked, waking up. This time the dream had been longer, and he'd even remembered to ask her name. "Kishar." He repeated it aloud, knowing he knew the woman, but not from where.

Shifting to a homing pigeon, he fluttered his wings as he flew to the window. He did know where to find her. Like seeking the comforting warmth of the sun on ones face, he turned until he faced the direction he knew would lead to her. _Not close. _The boy thought. _She's thousands of miles away. In Africa. _He smiled, recalling the land of his childhood.

Lost once again in the cheerful memories of his youth, the boy resumed his human form before walking into the washroom where he gazed into a rarely cleaned mirror; on his face he saw the red stain of the fruit he'd eaten.

End of Chapter.

* * *

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	2. Chapter 2

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_I guess adding 'End of Chapter' at the end of each chapter is just habit._

_Kishar is an OC. However, given how many characters there are in the DC universe I probably should've checked to see it wasn't already used as a villain/hero name._

* * *

_**Raven and Beast Boy on the Battlefield,... The Battle Continues,... Those Blasted Hypnoscreens,... A Talk,... Transformation,...**_

The world was weird, but when it came to Mad Mod things were always a bit strange, including the mad villain himself.

"I hate this guy." Beast Boy yelled, racing along with the other Titans through what they knew to be a building. It just didn't look like one from the inside. "What is this anyway?"

"It's a chessboard." Raven replied in a monotone. "What did you think it looked like?" She asked, now sounding sarcastic.

"I know what it looks like." The boy replied. "But I still don't know what it is. I mean, where're all the doors and walls?" He sighed. "Never mind, just be sure to have something funny to say when I'm hypnotized."

"I don't do funny?" Came the apathetic reply.

"Ha. Right." Beast Boy retorted. "When it comes sarcastic replies to anything I say, you're always funny. Even funnier than me."

Raven's mouth twitched, and for a second it held an expression of amusement. "Beast Boy." She replied in all seriousness. "Even Mad Mod is funnier than you."

"Waaa. No way. You take that back Raven." The seemingly devastated shape shifter yelled, pretending to be insulted. "There's no way I'm that bad."

"You would make a stone telling jokes look funny."

"Stone don't tell jokes." The boy frowned, looking puzzled.

"And you aren't funny."

Waaa. No way. You take that back Raven." The shape shifter yelled, once again placing a fake expression of indignation on his face. "There's no way I'm that bad." The eyes of the boy twinkled. It'd been a while since he'd gotten the young woman to lighten up a bit.

"Stop it you two." Robin's voice cut through their banter.

"Spoilsport." Beast Boy muttered under his breath.

Raven smirked for a split second before focusing on more serious matters. "Since we're not getting anywhere, it would seem we're already hypnotised." She suggested.

"No." Cyborg replied. "My GPS says we're moving." He tapped his wrist. "Thought we are moving in circles... I think."

Robin nodded. "Stop." He ordered. "We might not be hypnotised, but we are probably in another of his holograms." The boy looked around, showing clear signs of frustration.

"Ah my Duckies." A voice boomed out over the very realistic looking chessboard. "Tis all real. As real as the knights of the round table."

"Were the knights of the round table real?" Beast Boy asked.

"Halt." A powerful voice roared. "Who dares challenge Sir Lancelot of the Round Table, Knight in service to King Arthur?"

The five wary Titans looked up as a massive figure rode into view as if from a dense fog. On a great black steed, whose head towered over them, sat a silver-clad man who had to be well over ten feet tall.

Cyborg sighed. "Does it matter?" He asked, responding to Beast Boy. "In this place real means nothing."

"Prepare to be skewered, ye scoundrels." The Knight declared as he spurred his mount into a charge.

The Titans scattered, trying to avoid the very sharp-looking lance that was swiftly hurtling towards them.

"Hey. There's two of them now." Beast Boy yelled a warning to his friends as, evading the first attack, he spotted a second knight behind the first.

"I knew you were lacking in wits." Raven retorted. "But are you seriously saying you can't count past two." She dodge around a third large figure that focused on her.

"What do you mea... Oh..." Looking around the shape shifter saw there was now two knights for each of the Titans. Turning into a fox he dropped down beneath another attempt to skewer him, and raced between the legs of the horse. _I really hate Mad Mod. _He thought, changing into an elephant to try to overpower one of his foes. The deadly looking lance made it a failure, and he scurried away in the form of a mouse, hoping to go unseen. "Blast it. Aren't there supposed to be only four knights in chess. Two of each color?" He yelled, human once again.

"Waaa." Raven paused in mid-air as she levitated over the two less than savory looking knights. She blinked. "How do you know there're only four knights in chess?" She asked, clearly stunned.

"I'm not stupid Raven." Came the gasped reply, as the shape shifter tried to keep two very pointy looking weapons from ending his life. "I've watched you and Robin play. The knights are the pieces with the little crowns on top. Right? And there're four of them." He stopped speaking as he was forced to run for his life.

"Oh..." The girl didn't know what to say to that. "Good try Beast Boy." She added, letting a hint of sarcasm escape. "At least you got the number right." At her command, a black shield rose around one of the knights, but whatever those lances were made of it was sharp. It pierced the darkness of the barrier, causing it to shatter.

_That got that silly apathetic look off her face for a second. _Beast Boy noted with a sense of glee. Around him, he studied how the fight was going. Cyborg was trying to use his sonic cannon, but all the running was messing up his aim. The one clear shot the cybernetic teen had managed to get off had been blocked by a black shield, inscribed with a cross, that'd come out of nowhere. Robin was doing better, being more agile, but still seemed to be outclassed. None of the lances even came close to him, but every disc he threw was being blocked by similar shields. Starfire was several feet in the air, lashing out with a flurry of starbolts. Unfortunately, while she could force one of the knights to stay behind its shield, the second one was free to chase her.

_Robin... Agility... _Beast Boy mused. _That's what I need... But something that's even more nimble. _As soon as the thought passed through his mind, the shape shifter became a hummingbird. Being small, as well as a master of maneuverability, the form was perfect. By reflex he easily evaded the lances, which now seemed to move eerily slow to the quick-thinking avian designed for high-speed maneuvering.

_Whew! _The boy thought. _At last a chance to think. _He studied the knights. The lances were their only weapon, so if he could get close ... He dove at one, and as expected a large black shield with a cross inscribed on it appeared. With his wings blurring, and vanishing from human sight, he swooped up over the barrier, and then just as nimbly dove down.

_Now lets see how they stand up to some serious firepower. _With a grin the victorious shape shifter became a polar bear. Weighing in at more than fifteen hundred pounds, equipped with six-inch claws and equally deadly fangs, it was a force to be reckoned with. The impact savagely ripped the knight from his steed, smashing him brutally to the ground. With a triumphant snarl Beast Boy felt the mechanical form crumble beneath the impact, and knew the fight was over; all that was left was to make sure with a few quick swipes of his eight-inch paws. Glaring at his foe, he ... _Oh drats! _The boy thought, staring into the swirling eyes that were actually miniature hypnoscreens.

"Not again." Raven intoned, seeing her fellow Titan fall once again under Mad Mod's influence. "Quick. Someone say something funny." She spoke apathetically, as if bored.

"Ah my duckies." Mad Mod's voice boomed out again. "That won't work this time. Did you think I wouldn't make a few improvements. This time the affect is permanent."

Raven blinked, now taking the situation serious. It was no longer a minor matter to tease the boy over. "Try something Cy." She ordered.

"Beast Boy why did the duck qua..."

"Crush the traitorous scoundrels, my little green-skinned knave." The powerful voice roared out, blocking whatever Cyborg had to say.

All the other times he'd been under Mad Mod's hypnosis had been like going to sleep, but this time, the desperate boy knew exactly what he was doing. In a flash he was a cheetah, charging a new foe who had no time to react. Just before impact, he shifted into a seven-ton elephant that mercilessly smashed into the cybernetic teen, sending him flying. Landing on his feet as a cheetah, the shape shifter whirled around to launch himself at Raven.

_Not her! _Beast Boy silently screamed in sudden frenetic desperation.

Swiftly Raven reached out to create a barrier around the now hostile shape shifter. But with the speed the cheetah moved, having accelerated from nothing to more than fifty miles per hour in the blink of an eye, she miscalculated. The useless shield of dark magic appeared just feet behind the oncoming cat. Calming her nerves, she tried to correct her for mistake, only to realize she had no time for something as fancy as a barrier. Automatically her energies formed into a fist to smash the great cat to one side.

The boy sighed in relief. The incoming fist of raw magic would smash him to one side. It would hurt, but he would live, and it would also take him out of the fight. Raven would be safe. But then, whatever now directed his actions shifted his form to a hummingbird, hoping to slip through the fingers of the giant.

* * *

_'Interesting_.' A familiar voice spoke. '_But really, I am disappointed in you, Garfield Logan_.'

'_How're you here?' _The desperate green-skinned boy asked, as time seemed to slow to a craw. To his left he could see Kishar standing as she calmly looked around.

'_I guess being under hypnosis is much like being in a dream_.' She shrugged as if it didn't matter.

'_Why is everything in slow motion?' _ He watched as the fist that hurled at him barely seemed to move.

_'It's a dream. You can do whatever you like in a dream. If you want to change time, then just do so.' _The woman still seemed bored. '_It's something you should've been able to do, but in this case I did it for you.' _She shrugged nonchalantly again. '_Why don't you ask why I'm so disappointed?'_

'_Hrm. Why're you so disappointed?' _The boy asked, before adding._ 'But really, I'm more interested how I'm going to survive this_.' He already saw that the form he'd taken while swift, would be crushed by the fist Raven had conjured. And while he dreaded the though of dying, it was much better than the alternative. The relief that she would live filled him, creating a sense of calmness.

'_This Mad Mod uses hypnosis, right!' _Kishar made it a statement_. 'Yet you faced him in a form that had decent eyesight. Why?'_

_'Well... Ummm...' _He gulped as he watched the fist get larger and larger.

'_You have at your disposal every creature that ever lived, and every combination thereof. Why did you face him in a form that used eyes? You pitted your weakness against his strength. That was stupid_.' A hint of anger filled her words.

Beast Boy had no idea what she meant by every combination thereof, but didn't think it was time to ask idle questions. Then to his dread he saw the oncoming fist dissolve into a dark mist before disappearing completely. _'No_.' Panic surged through him again.

Kishar suddenly turned to pace around Raven, looking at her with intense curiosity; finally a smile crossed her lips. '_She knows you would die if she hit you with that fist, and she has no time to try anything else. She's preparing to die.'_

'_No. _.' Beast Boy sobbed. '_Raven. Don't.'_

'_You would rather die than harm her?' _Kishar asked.

'_Of course_.' He replied without thought, as he saw the throat of his victim approach. He already knew what would happen; he would become a king cobra, and his fangs would deliver a death sentence to his friend.

'_Interesting. You know, I think I approve_.' She studied the half-demon empath some more. '_Yes, I do approve_.' She gave a satisfied smile.

'_Approve that I'm going to kill her?' _He mentally screamed as he saw that graceful throat come closer and closer.

'_Of course not_!' Kishar rebuked him. _'What do you think I am? Some sort of monster? I mean as a girlfriend for you. She's ideal. Strong, smart, caring, loyal, and loves you enough to die for you. How could I not approve?'_

_'In case you haven't noticed, she's about to die. And she already has a boyfriend.' _Desperation lent him strength in his struggle to alter what was about to happen, yet still he remained under the hypnosis, and that throat was now far too close. Mentally he scream in rage and hopeless fury.

'_Tsk, tsk_.' Kishar shook her head. '_Getting all worked up over nothing. You already know how to break the hypnosis, and you even got a full minute from your perspective to do it.'_

'_Huh? How?' _ Once again he tried to use his wings to swoop past the girl he was about to kill; once again it proved useless.

'_You really want me to spell it out?' _The woman sighed. '_Very well. How do you usually get unhypnotised?'_

_'Someone says something funny, and then I just snap out of it.' _He gasped, feeling his body switch to that of a king cobra with its jaws stretched wide.

'_So...' _She turned to study the empath again to let the boy think.

'_But he said he'd fixed that flaw.' _Beast Boy pointed out.

'_He's a villain_.' The woman actually rolled her eyes. '_Do you think he would've told the truth? And the way he hurried to silence that half-machine boy over there to keep him from telling a joke was pretty suspicious.'_

'_True. If you were to say something funny...' _A tiny spark of hope filled him.

'_Not going to happen. You want funny, make up a joke of your own.' _She sounded insulted.

With his teeth now mere inches from the throat of his prey, the shape shifter thought in desperation, wondering how he could ever find anything funny in this situation.

Kishar walked up to him, standing just a foot away. '_Assuming you get through this, let me teach you how to handle a pest like this Mad Mod as you call him.' _She reached out, resting her finger on his forehead for a brief instant.

'_What did you do?' _The touch had felt cold, as if something had entered him, and was now resting inside his mind.

'_Just a little command of my own. It'll ... Well, you'll see. Just be sure to pay attention and learn.'_

'_What? Wait?' _But the woman just winked at him, and then faded from view.

_Funny! Think Funny. What's funny? _He wanted to weep as he sensed the heat of the throat he was about to bite, and despair pulled at him, saying it was hopeless.

_I'm a joke master. I can always think of something funny_. He felt his fangs start to close, in less than a hundredth of a second venom would course through the one he loved, and she would die.

_Why did the duck want to be a parrot? Because he wanted a quacker. Is that funny? _Anguish and despair filled him, yet he repeated the words in his mind again as if he really meant them. _Why did the duck want to be a parrot? Because he wanted a quacker. Because, you know, Polly is a parrot, and Polly wants a cracker. _In his childish mind he had to admit it was funny. The situation was dire, and there was no way he could ever hope to laugh, but he found he didn't need too; merely finding something funny was in itself enough to break the hypnosis. Even as his fangs started to ripped into flesh, he became human again.

* * *

Raven saw the shape shifter turn into a hummingbird, hoping to get past the fist she'd lashed out with. Instinctively she knew it wouldn't. Trembling, with horror in her heart, she knew she was about to kill her best friend; the only friend who ever tried to make her laugh; the only friend who could reach her when she felt lonely, which was pretty often. Unable to bear it, she let the magic fade away. _Better me than him. _She thought, as she tried to summon the energy needed to teleport. But that took time, and he was so close. She saw him change to a king cobra, and knew the manner in which she would die. _But so long as he lives_, she decided, _then that's okay_.

The boy barreled into the girl, sending her flying with him on top of her. "Raven." He gulped, with his eyes inches from hers. "Are you okay?" He asked in a panic. "I'm sorry I got hypnotised again. I'm so so so sorry. I swear it'll never happen again." He sobbed, unable to do anything but stare into those wonderous eyes of hers. "Are you okay?" He asked again, making it a plea.

She blinked, realizing the hypnosis had been broken, that she would live. "You've put on a lot of weight." She intoned. "So much for Cy's hypothesis that tofu will make you shrink."

"Huh?" He blinked again.

"We're in the middle of a fight, and you're on top of me." She answered apathetically, while her heart soared.

"Oh." Beast Boy blushed, realizing just how close he was to the girl with the full length of his body pressing against hers. He rolled off, gulping. "Sorry."

"How disappointing." The voice of the mad villain boomed out. "And I so thought I had all the flaws fixed." There was loud sigh. "Back to the drawing board I guess."

Something cold in the mind of the shape shifter awoke, and started to spread through his body. _The command she implanted, whatever that means. _Beast Boy realized, and then his body started to change. It was slow, and it was beyond painful. His bones cracked in places, and grew in strange ways. His skin stretched, while fur suddenly sprouted from him. The agony of having his body torn apart cell by cell, and then put back together was something he'd only rarely felt before; becoming the beast had been like this, and back when he'd been new to shape shifting the first few times had been similar. Collapsing to the floor he thrashed around, gasping and unable to even scream. Muscles stretched, while tendons and legiments strained, and at times tore as they failed to grow fast enough.

_I'm shifting. _Beast Boy realized. _But to what? And why is it so slow? _He gasped again, and the answer to the last question came to him. _To learn. She told me to pay attention and learn. _So even as the pain racked his body, he did his best to understand what was happening.

"Beast Boy? Are you okay?" Raven's voice, which held a hint of concern, came to him as if from a great distance. He push thoughts of the violet-eyed girl aside and focused on his body.

_It feels like I'm becoming some kind of cat, maybe a cheetah. But I'm too large for that. Much too large actually. _It was then that he realized only a part of him was becoming some unknown type of cat, the rest was taking on the form of a bat. Then his vision faded. _But 'blind as a bat' is only a myth. Why is this form blind? Because that's the way she made it. _Was the answer that came. _So I can't be hypnotised. _And he now knew what she meant by forms in combinations; it was possible merge two different shapes to create something new.

The pain was endless, and the transformation seemed to take forever. However, the massive twelve-foot beast finally stood, showing the basic form of a cheetah, but immensely more heavily muscled with denser bones. On his back there were wings that he though looked cool. Useless for flight, their surface area could still catch the air to help him make tighter turns. His ears were those of bat, while he had no eyes. Armed with fangs and claws that were more than two feet long , he was the very picture of deadly. Like his bones, some trick he hadn't quite managed to catch had made those fangs and claws incredibly dense, and impossibly strong. As the world seemed to move in slow motion, he knew one other thing had been changed. Some aspect of another creature, which had reflexes even faster than those of a cheetah, had been mixed in with this strange form that was a mix of both bat and cat.

The great beast saw the world with sound, and Beast Boy now realized how stupid he'd been. The holograms were different now. He could still see them, but he could also see through them. With his sense of smell, he could also tell exactly where Mad Mod was, less than twenty feet away. With a savage grin that caused a shudder to run down the spines of his friends, he stalked the villain.

"Hrm. Okay my duckies. It would seem it's time to start the show again." Boomed Mad Mod.

The nine remaining knights, who'd stood back idle while Beast Boy had fought his friends, went on the march again, but the beast ignored them. Once in a while he merely slapped aside a lance as it came to close, but they were nothing more than pests; his attention never wavered from his real goal, the villain who'd nearly made him kill Raven.

The holographic fields sparked as he shattered them, and a single door proved no obstacle. Then he was above the one who'd caused all this. A mere twitch of his gigantic paws ripped the cane from the villain's hands to send it to shatter against a wall.

"Oh my." Was all the white-haired old man could think to say as his robotic army ceased to move.

End of Chapter.

* * *

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	3. Chapter 3

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Yes, you read that correct. Raven does in this story currently have a boyfriend, and no it's not Robin. *shudder* The way I see it, this is a year after the series ended, and even then she was expressing some emotion, even if rarely. She smiled when working with Cyborg, she obviously was in love with Malchior, and she was far from apathetic around Beast Boy. With examples like RobinxStarfire, and with Beast Boy talking about girls, I think she would want to explore that aspect of life a little. He will be an established Teen Titans character, thought I won't say more on that at the moment._

* * *

_**Apologies,... Sacrifices and Compliments,... Decision Point and (Something too Horrifying to Write),...**_

"I'm sorry." The shape shifter told the violet-eyed girl for the ... Actually no one in the T-car could remember how many time he'd actually said it, himself included.

"It's okay Beast Boy." Raven intoned, feeling annoyed with the repeat apologizes. "Stop acting like Timid."

_'Waaaa...' _The insulted emoticlone started bawling.

_For crying out loud. _Raven thought in exasperation. She went to raise her hood, but paused as she felt a gloved hand gently caress her neck. Anger at the unforgivable intrusion blossomed within her, and then just as quickly faded. Hurt. Sorrow. Fear. Anger. Concern. Affection. Emotions washed over her, but what really stood out was the fear that he'd actually hurt her. And then there was the anger, which caused her to gulp. Bright and intense anger that would've done Rage herself proud. _Why anger? _She wondered but, regardless, she knew one thing for sure; the boy was on the verge of breaking down and crying, and that she couldn't allow. _He would never be able to live that down if the others saw it. _So rather than pushing him away, she tilted her neck to let him see the tiny scratch where the fangs of the king cobra had barely grazed her.

"See." Not even a mark, she truthfully told him. It was far too small to be called a proper scratch, and hadn't even penetrated the skin. To her dismay, the gesture only agitated him more. "Beast Boy." She intoned, and taking his hand she pressed it against her neck. Less than two seconds in a healing trance fixed the problem, or so she hoped. "See all gone." She removed his hand, but still loosely grasped it.

'_The mark is gone, but not the memory_.' Beast Boy silently sobbed. '_Not the knowledge of what I almost did.'_

Raven gasped, startled. _Did he just use telepathy?_ She wondered, sure that he had. _When did he learn how to do that?_

"Beast Boy, stop it." Robin ordered. "And you know Raven doesn't like being touched."

"Sorry." The boy said again.

"Does anyone care that I got hit by a seven-ton elephant moving at fifty miles per hour?" Cyborg asked. He was sitting in the back with Beast Boy, with his left arm slightly damaged. Not willing to risk driving while injured he'd given the task to Robin, albeit only reluctantly. He frowned as his question was met with silence. "Hrmph." He added, going back to fiddling with the damaged limb.

"Sorry." The shape shifter said, directing his apology now at both of the teammates he'd hurt.

Raven took a deep breath, though she no longer felt any anger; she was merely at a loss for what to say.

"Beast Boy. Stop it." Robin ordered with a sigh of his own. "I did worse when I was Red-X, remember?" He added after a slight pause, toning down the harshness of his tone.

Beast Boy sighed again, looking down.

"What was that new shape you used?" Raven asked in a monotone. "Use that on a regular basis, and the rest of us will be out of a job." She looked in the mirror to see how he was, hoping some praise might cheer him up.

"Unfortunately for now it was a one time thing." Came the morose reply. "Thought I think it's something I'll be able to repeat with more experience."

"It would make most of our fights easier." Robin added, practically drooling at the thought.

"I'll practice." Beast Boy promised. A shiver of excitement ran down his spine when he recalled what he'd learned; what was possible if he just tried.

Raven suppressed the smile she felt forming in response to the excitement her friend now radiated. "Imagine if you'd hit Cyborg with that shape while travelling at fifty miles per hour." She intoned.

"What?" Cyborg yelped, going pale. "That thing weighed at least twenty tons."

"With that shape, I could've hit him going at least a hundred miles per hour." The shape shifter added in a monotone of his own. "Maybe a hundred and twenty."

"Gulp!" Was all they heard from the cybernetic Titan.

* * *

Raven stood gazing in the mirror, idly studying her reflection. From the direction of the door she sensed anger, and knew she was about to find out why Beast Boy was so furious at her. So intense was the emotion that she could even see him through it as a red image with its hand raised to knock. He'd been like that for eight minutes now, but she figured he was probably just working out what to say. That they were about to have one of their rare moments when they actually fought was obvious, but she'd found out that that was a part of being friends; friends argued, and then made up. She gave a slight smile, and just as she sensed him about to knock, opened the door.

"Standing there long?" She intoned.

"Hrm. No." The shape shifter lied.

"I can understand why you were afraid for me." She said, sitting down on her bed, and pointing to a chair. "I was afraid for you too."

"I know. You did after all decide to die rather than hurt me." He took the chair, glancing at how she was dressed. "Nice." He told her, meaning it. "Date with Mark?"

Feeling her cheeks becoming warm, Raven looked down at the black jeans and shirt she wore. "Thanks." She replied. "And yeah. He claims to have found the best cafe in Jump City yet."

He let his gaze wander around the room, eyeing a certain mirror for a few seconds; the half-demon's portal to Nevermore.

"So why so angry?" The girl dared to ask.

"Never do that again?" He let the control on his rage slip a little, and it filled his voice.

She blinked. Maybe this fight wouldn't be like the others. "I don't understand. Do what?"

"Decide to die in my place." He swallowed, forcing the words to at least sound civilized, even if he wanted to growl them.

"Oh."

"I know the risks of being a Titan." The boy said, looking her in the eye. "A villain got to me, and it was your place to take me down, not to sacrifice yourself."

"I messed up." She shrugged. "The only way to save myself was to kill you, and Titans don't kill."

"But..." He struggled to find the words to express how he felt. "I would rather die myself than for you to die." He simply said.

"And I would rather die than have you die." She replied, meeting his angry gaze without flinching. "It works both ways, you know."

Beast Boy focused on seeing through his rage, understanding that her perspective was the same as his, just reversed; it was also something he couldn't accept. "Promise next time you'll save yourself, and not me." He demanded.

"I can't do that." Raven told him.

"But..."

"Okay." She suddenly changed her mind. "I'll make that promise if you promise me something."

The boy smiled, glad she would see reason. "Sure. What is it?"

"If I'm ever the one out of control, you'll kill me rather than place yourself at risk."

His smile faded. "I would never do that." He stated emphatically.

"And I'll never choose my life over yours." She stated just as firmly.

"I see." Beast Boy sighed, clearly not liking it one bit.

* * *

After Beast Boy left Raven stood to look in the mirror again. This time she studied what she saw. A girl, dressed somewhat like a goth in black, with strangely colored eyes and hair. Her skin as well was far from normal. _But he complimented me. _She thought with a smile. That was something new in their friendship. When she'd started dating Goth Boy, as they'd called him, Beast Boy had started letting slip little phrases like, 'nice,' and even once in a while, 'cute.' She thought it was his way of giving her encouragement. When it came to magic and sarcasm she was a master, but dating caused butterflies in her stomach that even her meditation had trouble controlling. She could tell he meant it when he complimented her, and that helped a lot.

She frowned. The 'relationship' with Goth Boy, who was more properly called Jonathan, hadn't lasted. For that matter, she couldn't even recall what'd attracted her to him in the first place. She had to maintain control over her emotions, but he actually was apathetic. Maybe at first that very lack of emotion had had a calming influence on her, but after a while it'd been just plain annoying. She would take one of Beast Boy's jokes any day.

_Or maybe it's that I've changed. _The violet-eyed girl thought. Before Trigon's time had come, and then passed, she'd always thought she knew what the future would hold; a world of stone where hope was long dead. But now she had hope, and even if she couldn't give full reign to it she was no longer apathetic.

'_You were never apathetic_.' Knowledge spoke. '_You had to keep your emotions from running out of control, but they were always there. Only now you're starting to acknowledge us. Apathy does not drive one to become a hero.'_

'_Maybe_.' She spoke back to the emoticlone, letting the hint of a smile return to her face. '_Anyway, I have to get to the cafe where Mark is waiting_.'

'_There's something fishy about that guy.' _Rude interrupted with a loud burp.

'_So long as you don't want me to tear him limb from limb like Rage wanted to do with Jonathan_.' Raven told her.

'_I say you should tear that Mark guy limb from limb too._' Rage spoke up. '_Miss Cranky Pants over there is right. There's something fishy about him.'_

_'Hey Little Miss Four-eyes, being Rude is my department. Stick to your own.'_

The violet-eyed girl closed her eyes and grimaced. Sometimes acknowledging ones emotions just didn't pay. But then the little talk she'd just had with Beast Boy came back to her, and a warm glow filled her whole being. Despite what she was, she knew there was one person who would always cherish her and the friendship they had. The warm glow became an exquisite feeling of pure bliss and contentment; when she opened her eyes, she saw that her whole face was lit up with a smile.

* * *

Fuming, Beast Boy stalked around the Tower for a bit before going to the roof. _Time to see if I did learn anything. _Sitting on the sun-warmed surface he relaxed as best he could, knowing the next few hours would be, to say the least, an exercise in absolute and total agony.

_Two creatures at once. _The shape shifter mused, recalling how it'd felt. Knowing that the creature he'd used on Mad Mod was far beyond his reach, he focused on something simpler; a form with the speed of a cheetah, but the size of a lion. For the next two hours that was what he did. He would start by slowly shifting into a cheetah, trying to ignore the snapping of bones and the tearing of tendons as he did so. Once he was midway through he would then try to focus on the size of a lion.

Every time it failed, leaving him more and more frustrated. The knowledge that Raven would've died if not for the intervention of Kishar tore at him. The fury, which he knew to be unreasonable, that she refused to make a simple promise burned within him. That she was dating he accepted, though it irked him to no end. And finally, the pain of having his body tore apart eight times in two hours was getting to him.

With a sigh, the weary boy laid his head back on the roof to stare up at the sky. _I now know there're possibilities I never dreamt of. And there's only one place to go if I want to learn. _He sighed again, trying to force his thoughts past the pain that lingered in his aching limbs. _It's not as if I belong here anymore. The fun I had with Raven is fading. It just hurts seeing her date someone, and if I stay I'll just mess things up for her by getting jealous. And then there're the villains. _He growled at that. Animals in all their myriad forms were powerful, but everything had a weakness. The last time they'd fought Gizmo he'd simply played a high-frequency sound which had played havoc with the shape shifter's sensitive hearing. The boy growled again. _The team had to fight without me, but if I knew more ... _He dreamed of forms that he could adapt at will to match strength against his foes' weakness. _If I could do that then, even if I one day returned, I would no longer be placing Raven in danger. I could protect her. _And then, because it was his nature to see the funny side of things, he laughed. _Imagine Kishar thinking she would make a good girlfriend for me. The way she acted you would think she was my mother or something._

Sitting, the boy decided to give it one last try. Despite the unspeakable pain, he broke the transformation down step-by-step, making it go as slow as he could. At each step he forced himself to see through the torture to focused on both size and form, to hold both the concept of a cheetah's speed along with a lion's size, in his mind. He made that thought paramount to all else, even the feeling of his body slowly dying when, at times, his veins and arteries twisted and broke. At the end of an hour, a heaving six-hundred pound cheetah stretched out on the roof, unable to move let alone run due to the pain of the transformation. On the face of the giant cat there was a grin. _I did it. _It immediately changed into a frown, and the boy, who hadn't made a sound even as his body had been ripped apart several times, switched back to his human form with terror written all over his face. "I've got to clean my room."

* * *

Deciding to get the ordeal over with, Beast Boy got to work. First he tried to lift an armful of ... something ... off the floor to carry it down to the basement's incinerator. It hadn't gone well. Not having been cleaned since he'd moved in, the bottom layer of ... whatever ... could only be described as toxic slime much like that which surrounded Plasmus. Only the fresh layers of debris, steadily added over time, had allowed the room to remain livable.

_This isn't going to work. _The gasping boy admitted, holding his nose even as he closed his eyes to prevent the fumes from burning them. Desperately he crawled for the door.

It took a gas mask, and a large crate whose lid he could close, before he managed to get the first load down to the incinerator.

"What you doing B?" Cyborg asked.

"Cleaning my room." The boy responded, taking a much needed break.

"No. Really?" Cyborg asked. "Besides it's against the rules for you to clean your room." The cybernetic teen flipped open a screen on his left wrist and studied it.

"What? Why dude? You guys are always after me to clean it." The puzzled shape shifter studied the LED display his friend was now staring at.

"Only because we knew you never would. It was a fun way to tease you. But it is against the rules."

"Why is my room marked as the tower's armory?" The shape asked, still looking confused.

"Well, you see, if any villains managed to take over the tower again, we wanted to set a trap." The titanium-clad Titan shrugged. "So we just changed the schematics and marked your room as the armory. We figured that's where any villains would go first." He shuddered. "And you're the only one we know of who can survive in there. As a booby-trap, it's perfect." He looked at the large crate. "Or was."

End of Chapter.

* * *

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	4. Chapter 4

**I do NOT own Teen Titans (Wish I did so I could make a BBxRae series.)  
**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Agreed, Beast Boy was out of line asking for that promise, but then emotions are rarely logical. It's not something he would've even thought to ask of the others. He just couldn't stand to see her plan to throw away her life for the sake of his own.  
_

* * *

_**The Request and the Conditions,... A Clean Room,... Saying Goodbye,... The Beginning of a Journey,...**_

'_You know more about my powers than I do.' _Beast Boy spoke, picking several red berries from a nearby Red Stinkwood tree.

_'I've been around a bit longer.' _The woman placed one of the tiny fruit in her own mouth and chewed, smiling with her eyes closed as she savored the taste.

_'Will you teach me?' _The shape shifter hated how his voice sounded. It was as if he was begging, but then he was ready to do that if need be. He placed a berry in his own mouth and slowly chewed. He too savored the bitter taste.

_'I've asked you to visit a few times.' _Kishar replied. _'As for if I will teach you, hrm...' _She paused in thought. _'On three conditions_.' She told him, sounding nonchalant about the matter, though her voice trembled a little.

_'What are they?' _The boy held his breath, waiting.

_'One. Tell me why you want to learn.' _Her tone was calm and nearly hypnotic_. 'Don't think on it, just tell me before I count to three.'_

Beast Boy blinked, wondering how to express what he felt and why he wanted to learn.

'_One.' _The woman popped another berry in her mouth.

'_So I can be a worthy Titan.' _He watched her expression, knowing the reason hadn't satisfied her.

The woman swallowed the berry with a look of contentment._ 'Two.' _She told him, reaching up to pick a few more from the nearby tree.

'Because I want to learn, and I want to help people.' He looked at her, reading her body language to know that she approved of his reasons, but that they weren't enough.

_'Thr...' _She started to say.

_'Because I love her.' _In a rush, the shape shifter savagely growled the words that suddenly arose from within his heart. _'Because I want to protect her. Because if anyone harms her I want the power to make them pay; the power to rip them limb from limb and scatter their ashes into oblivion.' _The boy sat still, gasping as he recalled what he'd just said, and the utterly vicious and bloodthirsty way in which he'd said it; he also realized he meant every word of it. Still, he couldn't believe he'd spoken in such a manner, or that she would accept it. His hands were clenched into fists that were stained red from the berries he'd crushed.

_'I see.' _The woman replied with an amused smile. _'A little overprotective aren't we?' _She teased with her emerald eyes twinkling.

_'Just a little.' _He admitted blushing, not needing to be told such an attitude wouldn't go over too well with the woman of his dreams. Images of being tossed out through the tower windows came to mind and he smiled.

Kishar peered up into brightly lit sky, seemingly content to remain in the shade of the Stinkwood tree that sheltered them both from the harsh sun. Having taken time to gather her thoughts, it was a while before she spoke in a tone that was much more solemn. '_I approve of her, but you know she's the daughter of Trigon_.'

'_I know.' _Beast Boy answered, though he knew it wasn't a question.

_'He will never stop trying to escape his prison. If you wish to protect her then there will come a time when you will have to kill. Are you ready to accept that price?' _She turned to gaze into his eyes.

_'I am.' _The puzzled shape shifter gazed back, sure of his reply, yet wondering why the woman's bright emerald-green eyes held tears along with a hint of sadness.

_"I see.' _Kishar sighed. _'Then I guess that is that. I would not wish that guilt upon you for all the world, yet ...' _The woman sighed again as if weary. _'You gave an answer I approve of, much as I wish it were otherwise. The other two conditions are merely formalities.'_

The shape shifter waited.

'_You've already shifted into one form that was a combination of two animals. Repeat the process three more time before you arrive, and cut the time down from an hour to thirty minutes.' _She looked at him with the tears gone, though her face still showed the tiniest hint of sorrow. '_That I think will not be too difficult a task.'_

_'It won't be.' _He admitted. It would be painful, but doable. He no longer bother to wonder how she knew so much about him.

_'The third task then would've been to clean your room, but it seems that is already done.' _Her faced twisted up in a sad smile. _'I thought for sure that one would stump you.'_

Beast Boy felt a lump in throat. Whoever this woman was she clearly wanted to teach him, yet would've chosen not to. In her eyes he could only see pure unquestionable love for him, along with a heartfelt desire to protect him regardless of cost; there was immeasurable pride in those eyes. The look was one he could only vaguely recall from the long ago days of his childhood; it was the same as his mother's when she had gazed fondly at him. Everything about them was different from hair color to skin color, yet that look was the same. He gulped, feeling strange, and had to blink back tears of his own.

She reached out with fingers that were cool to the touch to gently caress his face. '_Remember, my little Garfield. Three more changes to the form of that cat. And cut the time down to thirty minutes. It will be good to see you again, to have you home.'_

* * *

Still feeling strange, Beast Boy awoke with tears in his eyes, and hands that were stained red from the berries he'd crushed. Standing, he looked around the room. It hadn't been enough to just clean up the litter; the floor had been discolored and sticky with something slimy and rotten. In the end he'd done a much more thorough job than he'd planned to.

First he'd gathered all that he'd cared to keep, and had considered the rest to be a lost cause. Then, becoming an elephant, he'd smash the bunk beds, along with the one bookcase he'd had. That had went in the incinerator. Then, borrowing a sonic device for cleaning from Cyborg, he used it to clean the room, scouring even the paint from the walls. He was more than a little ashamed of how far he'd let things go, and the effort that'd been required to clean it up. But then, in Africa he hadn't had a bedroom, and they'd never stayed in one place long enough for things to get dirty.

The walls had been repainted a nice pale blue, as had the bathroom where he'd also went to work with the borrowed sonic cleaner. With the room as clean and sparkling new as when Cyborg had made the place, he'd went out to one of the stores and had a new set of bunk beds ordered along with a bookcase where his few books now rested. If he should return then it would be a new start with all the clutter of his old life gone; if not then there would be no mess for the others to deal with. Still, he hoped to one day return. This was, after all, where Raven was.

With a small sigh, he took once last look around, and then stepped through the doorway. Behind him the door slid shut as he walked down the hallway, wondering how to go about saying goodbye.

* * *

'Morning." Beast Boy wandered into Evidence Room where Boy Wonder seemed to live when not hunting criminals.

"Morning." Robin glanced up, looking started when he saw his fellow Titan out of uniform. "Going to the arcade?"

The shape shifter looked down at the clothes he wore. Sneakers with a pair of blue jeans, and a black shirt with a hood. The usual gloves were on his hands. Almost every hint of green was covered. "No." He swallowed, not knowing how to go about saying he was leaving.

"So you demolished Cyborg's so-called perfect booby-trap? He came to me in tears, begging me to stop you. I was tempted, but then I wondered what would happen if a visiting Titan wandered in there. I thought it better safe than sorry." The leader shook his head as if in wonder.

"Hehe. It was pretty bad." The boy admitted, pulling at the black and blue backpack he wore.

Robin eyed the movement with a slight frown. "Going somewhere?"

Beast Boy placed his T-communicator on a desk. "Yeah. Back home for a bit."

"Home?" Boy Wonder glanced at the communicator. "You're still a Titan regardless of where you go. Keep it."

"Africa. But I can't take the communicator." The device held a tracking chip, and he very much doubted that Kishar would like it if a horde of people came to visit.

"Oh." Clearly their leader thought he was giving up being a Titan for good.

"Will it be here when I get back?" Beast Boy asked, hoping to reassure him.

"Always." Came the rushed response.

"I have a favor to ask before I go."

"Anything." Boy Wonder promised.

"I always kept this in my room, since when fighting stuff can get lost pretty easily. Will you keep it in the Tower safe for me?" The green-skinned boy reluctantly held out a small envelope. "You can look if you want." He told his curious leader.

Robin flipped open the envelope and looked inside; it held three small photographs. Each was of a couple holding with blonde-haired boy whose eyes were a bright blue. In all three he was laughing while the parents were smiling. The first showed the boy at around three, the next at around five, and the last one at maybe eight. He looked up at the shape shifter.

"That's the one reminder of my parents I don't want to lose." Beast Boy explained. "I need for it to be kept somewhere safe. If I could I would take it, but like I said, in fights things tend to get lost."

"Oh." Relief filled Robin's voice. He now knew his friend, and fellow Titan, planned to return. "I'll keep it safe." He promised. "And even if you leave the communicator behind, you're still a Titan, and we're all still here for you."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Beast Boy said, near tears as he turned to walk away. "I'll be back." He promised, and swallowed, unable to say anything more.

* * *

"Glorious morning, friend Starfire." He used the greeting the Tamaranean herself so commonly used.

"Glorious morning, friend Beast Boy." The jubilant girl joyfully replied, letting her eyes roam over him. "You are well dressed today. What, may I ask is the occasion?"

"I'm taking a trip, so I'll be gone for a while." He gulped the answer, seeing her smile turn into a frown.

"For how long will this trip be?" She asked, immediately aware it wouldn't be for just a day or two.

"I'm not sure. But I will be back." He smiled. "I left my most precious possession with Robin to keep in the safe. Consider it a promise that I will return."

"I see." She continued to frown. "Please be safe friend Beast Boy. Should you need any assistance call us right away." The super-strong girl swept him up in a hug that caused his ribs to creak, and to painfully bend near to their breaking point. From the close distance the shape shifter could see a hint of tears in the girl's eyes. Impulsively he wrapped his own arms around her and returned the hug.

"I'll be back." He promised, knowing he was going to miss her cheerful smile and the way she always brightened things up.

* * *

"Morning Raven." Beast Boy gulped nervously, greeting the violet-haired girl with his heart racing.

"Oh shut up!" The girl snapped, speaking in a tone that was somewhere between a loud groan and a harsh growl. She was sitting at the commons room table, holding a cup of herbal tea that smelled of mint. By the way she grasped the cup one might thing her life depended on it.

The shape shifter grinned at the less than welcoming response. One of the reasons he got along with her so well, despite what the others saw as bickering, was that he could tell when she really wanted to be left alone. This was clearly one of those times.

"Take care." Beast Boy told her, patting her on the head as he left despite the way it made her actually growl at him. The harsh reply didn't phase him, He knew she was sometimes like this, and thought he knew the reason this time around. Raven, for the first time in her life, had a hangover. A smile split his face as he left the girl to her mint tea. Having already said goodbye to Cyborg the night before, he took to the air as a common swift.

* * *

Setting a leisurely speed of fifty miles per hour, the shape shifter flew in the direction where he sensed Kishar was. The form he used rarely landed, and he knew he could make the entire trip without stopping should he so desire. However, he still had to change into that cat three times, so that was out... _Plenty of time. I'll stop later today and practice. _The boy decided. The pain of saying goodbye to his friends tore at him, and for now he just wanted to let the exhilarating sensation of flight ease the ache that filled his heart.

End of Chapter.

* * *

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	5. Chapter 5

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes:_

_Since Beast Boy is busy flapping those little wings of his, this chapter will mostly be about Raven._

* * *

_**Headache and some Considerations,... A Bird's-Eye View,... More Considerations,... The Date,...**_

_'I'm never drinking again.' _Raven ranted at her captive audience. '_I've got to use a healing trance_.' With shaking hands she took a small sip of herbal tea.

_'Serves you right.' _Knowledge replied_. 'And no, you're not using a healing trance. What would you learn if I let you do that?'_

_'But the team's having practice in less than an hour.' _The blue-clad girl pointed out, clutching her head.

'_We've handled worse_.' Brave spoke up. '_This is nothing.'_

_'Shut up.' _Raven retorted, in no mood for talks of bravery and courage. She turned her thoughts back to Knowledge in the hopes of changing the emoticlone's mind. _'I was careful. There's no way a single drink, no matter what it was, should've done this.' _The girl took another sip of her tea, cringing as the usually soothing drink wrecked havoc on a throat that felt like sandpaper.

_'True.' _Knowledge said after a long pause. '_You were careful, and there's no way a single drink should've had this result. At least not from what I know of alcohol.' _There was the sound of pages being flipped as the emoticlone studied her books. _'It is strange.' _She mumbled.

'_Last night was weird.' _Happy said, for once not sounding too cheerful. _'It didn't feel right. But then it never does with him, not that anyone would listen to me.'_

_'What do you mean?' _Knowledge questioned the girl, while Raven just moaned again.

_'The way he feels to our senses is just off. It's not like when we're with BB, or helping Cy with the car. What we get from him doesn't feel right.'_

'_Can you be more specific?' _Sighed a certain yellow-clad emoticlone who preferred solid facts to random mumblings.

_'When we're around him, we don't sense true happiness. With BB we know he's smiling on the inside as well as the outside. With Cyborg we know he's happy to have us around. With Mark it's different.' _Happy shrugged, not caring to use big words to explain simple things.

'_How is it different?' _Knowledge questioned

'_For crying out loud.' _Rage fumed. '_The guy is weird, so lets just rip off a few of his body parts and forget about him.'_

'_Quiet_.' Raven gulped. '_Stop thinking so loud or I'll rip off a few of your body parts and put you in a cell that you'll never get out of.'_

'_On second thought.' _The red-clad emoticlone mused. _'I think I like the new you. It gives you a certain ... fiery spirit. Lets drink some more and keep it up.'_

_'Grrr.' _The girl with the blood-shot eyes growled.

_'Stop arguing_.' Knowledge interrupted. '_Raven is correct. There's no way one drink could've caused this. By our estimates it should've taken five such glasses to cause minor intoxication, and even more for a result such as this.' _There was a pause with the sound of more pages being turned. '_Something is not right_.' The yellow-clad girl concluded with a frown. '_And we should focus on finding the source of the problem.'_

'_With him what we feel is more of a sense of business than happiness.' _Happy tried to explain again. 'It's _as if being with us is work, and the happiness is just an unintentional consequence.' _She paused. _'It's like with Robin when he's obsessed over Slade. Happiness, even when it comes to Starfire, is secondary.'_

'_So he's thinking about work_.' Raven suggested. _'That should make us happy. He's willing to make time for us even when he's busy. We know he ... likes ... us.'_

'_Lust is not like.' _Affection retorted. '_Which is all that we've ever felt from him in that regard.'_

'_We can't think clearly with the results of the hangover.' _Knowledge sighed. '_Since we were careful, then let's get rid of this headache, and reconsider what we know.'_

'_Bout time.' _Raven snarled savagely.

'_That's my girl_.' Rage cheered proudly.

* * *

The sun rose, warming the wings of the unusually green common swift as it leisurely soared aimlessly through the bright morning sky. It turned and twisted, following thermals that allowed it to rise higher and higher above the landscape.

The shape shifter peered down, taking his time to enjoy the breathtaking scenery; a forest of bright green trees, spotted with patches of yellow flowers, was criss-crossed by silvery streams that connected sparkling lakes. _Too bad I don't have a camera. _The boy mused. _Then again, no opposable thumbs so ... Oh well. _ _Not that anyone else can see what I can. _For a moment he was caught up in pity for those who lacked the vision to see as a bird does, for to him the picturesque view was laced with colors that would've baffled any mere human mind. Overlapping the already majestic beauty was fields of sparkling blue that denoted magnetic fields, while even the green trees and the yellow flowers were in shades that no artist had ever dreamt of. Rising above the land were billowing towers of various shades of red that both warmed and comforted him; they were the thermals that he could use at will.

_If I do nothing but stare, I'll never get anywhere. _The boy sighed, forcing his gaze to turn up to peer into the sky. To his eyes it was just as majestic as the land below, causing him to sigh again. _Focus. _He commanded. _You got more than six thousand miles to fly, and if you don't get started it'll take forever._

With a barely discernible tilt of his wing tips, the shape shifter altered his course. The backpack, which had conveniently disappeared when he became a common swift, carried several meals. It would last him until he got to the east coast where he would restock. Able to fly even asleep, he would need to land only to grab a bite to eat. Independent of roads and cities, he set a course straight for Gotham.

* * *

Raven peered into her dresser mirror, looking at the outfit she wore. Once again it was black jeans with a black shirt. In truth she would've preferred something blue, but thought the black hid her better. The cafes she and Mark visited were of the creepy variety, and were often dark. '_Why do I even bother with this?' _She wondered with a slight frown.

_'To keep Mark from being targeted by villains.' _Knowledge replied, reciting an answer they both knew. _'In the dark your skin doesn't stand out, and hair can be dyed. Few people would suspect it's you.'_

_'The last thing I told Beast Boy was shut up_.' She said, suddenly changing the subject.

_'He found it funny.' _Happy replied cheerfully. _'We could tell even if we were feeling sick. He patted us on the head. You should let him touch us more often.' _

'_Wrestling with him would be fun.' _Brave interjected, sounding hopeful.

_'I wonder if he would be interested in burping contests_.' Rude mused aloud.

_'If I'd talked to him, he might not have left_.' Raven intoned, ignoring the ridiculous suggestions.

_'He'd already made the decision_.' Knowledge replied. '_He even cleaned his room for crying out loud. And the pictures he left behind are a promise he'll return.'_

_'If he were here we could talk to him about our suspicions. He would follow our lead.' _Raven told them, wondering where the boy was, and how he was doing. Already she missed him._  
_

'_Robin?' _Suggested Knowledge.

'_Are you insane? As a friend he's more than okay, but he's almost as psycho as the villains we catch_.' Raven smiled a little as she said it. _'Even if Mark did drug our drink we don't want to kill him.'_

_'I do.' _Rage countered with a demonic sigh, knowing she would be ignored.

_'Cyborg?" _The yellow-clad emoticlone offered another option.

The black-clad girl with the violet eyes shuddered. '_At least Robin would question him first, Cyborg would just make him disappear_. _And don't even suggest Star. She'll never understand anything about Earth unless it has the word Robin in it.'_

_'You're feeling better now?' _Knowledge noted.

'_Yeah. Beast Boy is still a friend even if he isn't here. And you just reminded me that I got Robin, Cyborg, and Star.' _Raven looked into the mirror again, turning the slight hint of a frown to a small smile. '_And when Beast Boy gets back, perhaps during practice I will match off with him. That should make ...'_

_'Yay! I'm going to wrestle BB.' _Brave screamed, causing the others to cover their ears.

_'Brave happy.' _Raven needlessly finished.

'Burping contests?' Rude asked hopefully.

'_Not in a billion years.' _Came the cold reply. Feeling how dejected the orange-clad girl was, Raven made her an offer. 'Come up with a few not too rude remarks, and I'll let you say some of them to the villains.'

_'Cool.' _The orange-clad girl cheered.

'_We should get back to the main topic.' _Knowledge reminded them. '_You have to leave soon or you'll be late.'_

'_I know.' _Raven replied, falling back into a monotone. _'But I don't like it. Relationships are built on trust.'_

_'True.' _Affection said. _'But trust doesn't need to be blind; it's something earned. And even if your drink was drugged it might not have been him. You're not even accusing him, just setting a trap for the one who is guilty. ____If it was him, he will hang himself; if not, then he won't. _'

'_If he's guilty can we rip off his arms and legs?' _Rage asked hopefully.

_'No.' _Raven replied. _'Stop being so bloodthirsty about everything.'_

_'Hrm.' _Happy said, suddenly sounding thoughtful. 'I just realized something.'

_'What now?' _Knowledge inquired curiously. It was rare for the jovial emoticlone to sound thoughtful_._

_'Rage is pretty bloodthirsty.' _The pink-clad girl needlessly stated with a shudder. _'But it's not about everything. There's one person she never suggests hurting. I wonder why.'_

_'Ack! No there isn't.' _ The red-clad emoticlone suddenly yelled, sounding frightened. _'I'm Rage and I Hate everyone and everything including ...' _She went quiet with a gulp.

'_BB_.' Happy stated. '_She never talks about hurting him. At least not tearing off limbs anyway.'_

_'True' _Knowledge spoke thoughtfully.

_'Hrm.' _Raven mused.

_'I hate BB, and I want to tear off his arms and legs.' _Rage stated forcefully, though something about her words were just a little off; they clearly lacked her usual enthusiasm.

'Weird.' Raven said, pondering her darker aspect's words.

'_Very weird.' _Knowledge agree. _'This bears some looking into.'_

_'Grrrr.' _The red-clad emoticlone yelled demonically in frustration, her tone was tinged with a clear hint of terror.

* * *

Raven's half-demon eyes easily penetrated the gloom of the cafe to find Mark, her boyfriend. Once the thought that she might call someone that had been as foreign to her as the idea of having friends. Yet now she had both. Actually, by her count she'd now had three boyfriends. The first being Malchior, which had clearly not ended well. The second was Jonathan which hadn't ended that badly, but neither had it been anything great. And now there was Mark, the guy she thought might have drugged her drink the day before.

_'It might not have been him.' _She reminded herself.

_'But still be careful.' _Knowledge warned.

_'I plan too.' _Raven told her, walking towards the far corner where the boy sat.

"Hello Raven." The black-haired boy with twinkling blue eyes greeted his girlfriend. He was lean and athletic, though not overly buff. His outfit for the night consisted of his usual blue jeans, along with a red shirt that had a large black 'A' inscribed on it. He'd jokingly told the Raven the 'A' stood for number one and, during their talks, had made that claim any number of times. Professing to be a college student who spent most of his time inside, he was a bit on the pale side.

With a slight smile the black-clad girl leaned down to give her boyfriend a quick kiss before she took a seat. "So. What's good in this place?"

"The ale is pretty good. They claim they've been serving it since the eleven-hundreds. They also got a few different types of coffee."

"No herbal tea?" The violet-eyed girl asked, frowning.

"Sorry. But you should try the ale. It's incredible." The boy's voice held no apology, and was tinged with a barely concealed hint of superiority.

_Drats! _Raven sighed. _Why does the places he takes me to always have alcohol, but never herbal tea. And how could they've been serving ale since the eleven-hundreds? Columbus wasn't even born then._

"Want me to order for you?"

"I can order for myself." Raven replied, controlling her hostility. She picked up the menu and started scanning it. Contrary to most cafes, which usually had a limited selection of alcoholic beverages, this place had more than its fair share; one might even call it a bar or pub rather than a cafe. Her frown deepened.

"What can I get for you?" A pleasant voice asked. The waitress, holding a pen and a notebook, smiled down at them. Something about her suggested college student and part-time job.

"Another ale for me, and one for my girlfriend." Mark said confidently with a small smirk towards the woman. "I'll also have a plate of potato wedges and a piece of apple pie." He looked across the table at Raven.

'I'll have a glass of water, apple pie, and a piece of the overpriced pizza pepperoni pizza." Raven closed the menu.

With a glance towards the kitchen, the woman leaned down with a small laugh to whisper in the girl's ear. "It's not just overpriced honey, it's frozen pizza that we got dirt cheap. It's the worst thing I've ever tasted, and I wouldn't feed it to a dog. You sure you want it?"

Raven forced her lips up into a smile. It wasn't hard. The woman had red hair much like Starfire's, and gave off much the same presence. "What would you suggest?" She asked.

"The cheese fries are pretty good. We use several types of cheese, and they're always cooked to perfection." The woman grinned. "But given most people orders fries of some sort I guess that's to be expected. Practice makes perfect."

"Cheese fries it is then." Raven replied letting her monotone slip just a little.

"Okie. I'll be right back." She gave the violet-eyed girl one last smile before, with an openly hostile look towards Mark, she headed for the kitchen.

"Wow. Why does she hate you?" Raven asked.

"Overworked I guess." The boy shrugged, obviously not caring.

* * *

"Here we go." The waitress' cheerful voice boomed out less than five minutes later. "Your ale and potato wedges, sir." She placed the mug and a plate in front of Mark with an obviously fake smile before turning to Raven. As she did so her elbow hit the mug, sending it into the boy's lap.

"Ouch!" He shrieked loudly. "Clutching the offended part. "What did you use to cool it off, liquid nitrogen, you stupid bitch."

"I'm sorry, I ..."

"Just shut up you stupid cunt. You did that on purpose." The pale-faced boy clutched at his groin, in obvious pain.

"I didn't I ..."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, you stupid whore."

"Hey. That's going too far." The woman glared while her voice turned from apologetic to sharp and angry.

"You ..."

"That's enough, Mark." Raven intoned, interrupting what she thought was likely to be another insult. "It was an accident." At least she thought it was. She glanced at the woman, and decided that she'd been clearly sorry, though now she was just plain angry.

The boy paused and he glanced at his girlfriend as if just realizing she was there. His smile returned while his eyes twinkled. "Sorry Raven. You're right. I went too far." He turned back to the woman. "I'm sorry. It was an accident."

"I'll replace it, from my own pay." The woman said, accepting the apology if it meant peace.

Mark shook his head. "That's okay. I need to ..." He didn't finished speaking, but rather turned to Raven. "I'll call you." He promised, before rushing for the door.

"I'm sorry." The woman turned towards Raven.

"Was it on purpose?" The empath asked calmly, carefully watching the waitress.

"No. Well." The woman sighed. "Well, not really."

"Not really." Raven questioned, curious. Though she spoke in a monotone, something in her voice demanded an answer.

"If I say, don't tell him I said so, Please. If he complains I could get fired and I still need to buy books for class, and then there's the rent, and then ... Well." The waitress frowned and gulped, clearly worried.

"I'll keep quiet." Raven's eyes didn't leave the woman who nervously clenched her hands and then relaxed them..

"He came in an hour ago, and flirted with the first waitress so much she had me take over his table. That wasn't too bad, I mean we expect some people to be having a bad day when they come in and might be a bit ... Well, let's just say grumpy. We got to deal with all sorts of attitudes." The woman took a deep breath and shrugged. "But then he tried flirting with me too, telling me how great he was and that ... Well..." The woman pointed to her pink t-shirt which read, 'I Love Girls.' "I think it would be obvious that he wasn't going to get far with me." She gave a weak smile before continuing. "Still it made him angry, and he returned the first ale SEVEN times claiming it was too warm. Then you came in and he said you were his girlfriend so I got angry. I mean, he was flirting with everyone in here, and then had the nerve to tell me, one of the people he was flirting with, that you were his girlfriend. I didn't mean to spill it, but I was just so mad that I wasn't careful. It happened because I was mad, but I swear it wasn't on purpose."

"I see." The violet-eyed girl intoned.

The woman gulped, taking the tone for anger. "I swear it wasn't really on purpose."

"I believe you." Raven gave a small smile to calm the redhead.

"You can do better." The woman said, taking a deep, nervous, breath. "I mean, why would you want to date someone who's that obnoxious?"

"Beat me. Anyway, I think I'll have my cheese fries, since you claim they're so great." Raven shrugged. "Why let good food go to waste. I don't suppose you have a teabag in the kitchen and a cup of hot water?"

* * *

Without a care in the world Beast Boy, still in the form of a common swift, soared through the air sound asleep.

* * *

End of Chapter.

A common swift actually does sleep while in the air. In fact they rarely land.

So, anyone want to make a guess on who Mark really is?

Having trouble writing this chapter is where the idea for '_The Bet' _came from. I would be interested in knowing how you think the chapter reads.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	6. Chapter 6

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

* * *

_**Arrival,... The Nevermore Thief,... The Sacrifice,...**_

Drawing close to its destination, the green common swift stretched its wings, soaring through the bright blue sky at more than a hundred-and-thirty miles per hour. The warm glow that pointed to the direction of Kishar had changed, telling the shape shifter that the woman was near, and that if he was right then in less a minute he would be above the clearing where they'd talked so often. Soon they would be able to sit together beneath those trees for real, eat Red Stinkwood berries, and chat. Maybe he would even find out why she seemed so familiar, and why the look she so often gave him reminded him of his mother. Excitement coursed through the body of the small bird as it hurled through the sky.

_I can see her. _The shape shifter noted, flapping it wings as it studied the ground below. The woman wasn't alone. A young girl of maybe sixteen stood with her, wearing a cloak of pure white. _Strange. _Beast Boy though, feeling a little disturbed by what he was seeing. _Is she...? Is that really ...? She wouldn't ... _He gulped, wondering at the situation as he came to a landing less than twenty feet from the two.

"Your timing is perfect." Kishar turned towards the boy with a welcoming smile, while the wind gently tossed her green-streaked blonde hair, and tore at the green cloak she wore. "The villagers sent up a sacrifice today." She pointed to the young girl who, along with a white robe, wore a white blindfold.. "Truly this is a good day indeed. You've returned home at long last, and my people are paying me proper respect." A dagger appeared in the woman's hand. Black as the night, the slender blade seemed to negate all light, creating a halo of darkness around it; with a quick and brutal thrust, it arched for the girl's throat.

* * *

'_It's been six days, and he hasn't called.' _Raven intoned, conversing with her emoticlones through a meditative trance..

_'He will.' _Knowledge replied. _'And I think I've figured out what he wants?'_

_'Oh?' _The's empath's attention focused on the yellow-clad emoticlone. _'What is it?'_

'_It was subtle, but he did question us on one topic frequently. During each date he would ask us one or two questions on demonology. Always at least one, but never three.'_

_'Oh.' _Raven cast her mind back, trying to recall the various dates. '_You're right, and it is strange. If he was curious it he would've been a lot of questions at once. If he wasn't then there wouldn't have been any at all.' _She frowned. _'And that would suggest he knows we're half demon. That isn't general knowledge.'_

'_He might not know that.' _Knowledge disagreed. _'Many people know we're well versed in magic, and he might've just taken it from there. However, it does explain why he's been trying to drug us. It was an attempt to get us to speak more openly.'_

_'The plan is still the same.' _Raven decided. _'We'll continue to date him, and try to spot him drugging a drink. We'll let him hang himself, so to speak.'_

_'When he does can I tear his arms off?' _Rage asked in a dark voice. _'You haven't allowed me any fun in ages. I'm getting bored.'_

_"And I hope you remain bored.' _The blue-clad empath intoned._ 'When you have excitement, it means trouble for the rest of us.'_

_'Hrmph.' _The red-clad figure growled, clearly not liking the answer.

'_There's one other thing_.' Knowledge pushed up her glasses with a puzzled look. _'It's strange. And I would've said it was impossible. But it seems we have a thief in Nevermore.'_

Raven blinked._ 'There's only the eight of you there, and there isn't exactly much to steal.'_

_'I know.' But someone stole Brave's cloak_.' The yellow-clad emoticlone shrugged. '_I have theories on why each of the others might have done it, but none of them are very convincing.'_

_'What are they?'_

Knowledge paused for a second before replying. _"I imagine Rude might've done it to be rude. But she's stuck in here with the rest of us, and there're limits she doesn't go past. Especially when it comes to Brave and those fists of hers_.'

_'Doesn't sound likely.' _Raven agreed.

The yellow-clad girl pushed up her glasses again. _'Then there's Happy. She might've stolen it for one of her silly games, but I really can't see her being so air-headed as to steal from Brave. She's not that dumb.'_

'_Could've fooled me.' _Raven muttered._ 'If she's so smart why is she so obsessed with pink? But you're right. If Brave's cloak was pink I could see it, but it's green so it doesn't seem likely. Are you sure it was even stolen? Maybe Brave just lost it during one of those so-called adventurers of hers? You know, like when she repelled the invaders from dimension zero, or when she fought the trolls from the Underland of Nevermore.' _

_'I'm not that dumb.' _Brave protested. _'And those things really did happen. Besides, I wasn't adventuring when I lost it, I was taking a nap and using it as a blanket. No one would've dared touch it if I was awake. Not even those hobbits from beneath Timid's labyrinth.'_

_'Right...' _Sighed a certain violet-eyed girl who was getting a headache. _'Tracking spells?' _She asked.

'_Tried it, but something is blocking the attempt.' _The emoticlone's glasses slip down only to be pushed back up.

_'Okay. If we can't track it, then it probably was either stolen, or got destroyed somehow.' _Raven looked at Brave._ 'Fight any fire golems lately who might've burned it?' _The voice of the blue-clad girl was laced with a hint of sarcasm, and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Brave's imagination was legendary in Nevermore._  
_

_'Not since the attack from Fiery Mountain.' _The green-clad girl replied, sounding dead serious. '_Like I said. I was asleep. You don't want to be caught napping when those things are around.' _She shuddered, and peered around, looking courageous even if a bit nervous.

_'I see...' _Raven shook her head and sighed, nearly breaking the meditative trance. _'Let's assume it was stolen. Search for it_.' Looking at the cloakless Brave she concentrated, and a new cloak formed around the girl. _'Don't lose this one.' _She ordered, and before any of them could say anything further, she ended the trance.

* * *

Disbelief ran thought the shape shifter. It was impossible that the woman whose eyes reminded him so much of his mother, the woman who looked at him with such unconditional love, could be the same woman who now coldly stood in front of him about to slash the throat of a young girl. It was impossible, and the shock should've held him still for the brief second that it would've taken that knife to finish its grizzly task. Yet he moved, becoming a cheetah that crossed the distance in a fraction of an instant with its jaws wide open, striking for the deadly looking weapon.

"What are you doing?" Kishar asked, sounding puzzled as she gracefully side-stepped the attack with inhuman speed. She raised the knife again, only to effortlessly drift to one side as the cheetah turned to strike for it a second time.

_She's fast. _Beast Boy realized. _Even as a human she's faster than a cheetah. _

"What are you doing?" Kishar asked again, leaving the knife at her side. "Why attack me?" There was disbelief in her eyes, and a hint of shock in her voice.

'You're going to kill her?" The green-skinned Titan took on his human form. "You're going to kill her?"

"What else would one do with a sacrifice?" The woman was clearly puzzled.

"But...? Why would you want to kill someone? How could you?" He felt betrayed, and it showed in his voice.

"For power of course." Kishar spoke as if it was obvious. "Why else would one make a sacrifice?"

"But ..." The scene before him was one he couldn't comprehend. The woman who'd once seemed so kind was now grinning malevolently with madness in her eyes.

She held out the knife. "But you're as a son to me. If you want I will show you how to gain power with a sacrifice. It will make your training easier."

"No!" Beast Boy yelled sharply, backing away from the knife. "I refuse to kill."

"How do you expect to gain power if you don't kill?" Kishar shook her head as if amused. "If you want to protect Raven, to have a chance against Trigon, then you need to learn how to draw power from human souls." She tilted the deadly looking blade, offering it to him. "Take her life, and you might have a chance to save the one you profess to love."

"No!" He took another step back.

"Don't you love her? Isn't the life of the one you care so much about worth more than that of a few strangers?" Her slightly tanned hand still held out the dagger. "If you don't do this then you're worthless to her. Trigon will claim her, and for her rebellion he will make her pay for eternity. Take the power I offer, and save her."

"No." The stunned shape shifter shook his head, taking another step back. "Raven would never want that. She lives to protect people."

"So you will let her die when you might save her?"

"I would die in an instant to protect her. But not like this."

Kishar's face twisted up in silent laugher, showing a madness that even the Joker would've been proud of. "So you refused to learn what I have to teach?"

"I won't kill." Beast Boy insisted vehemently. He dearly wanted to take another step back, but realized if he was to save the girl he couldn't.

"Then you can't learn what I would teach." For a brief instant there was sadness in the woman's voice. "Leave this instant, or I will kill you as well. One such as yourself is worthless to me." Kishar turned back to the girl, raising the black dagger with a swift and sure stroke.

With no time to think, Beast Boy raced forward as a cheetah. This time though, rather than moving to one side, Kishar turned to face him. Becoming a massive ten-ton elephant she charged the boy who was in midair and unable to dodge. The brutal impact sent him flying.

Pain coursed through the skull of the great cat as it met the much sturdier one of the elephant. Before the ground could rise up to cause more pain, the shape shifter became a hummingbird. Behind him the woman now became a cheetah that launched itself at the small form.

_Yikes. _The boy silently yelped, just barely managing to become a giant crocodile before the cat's teeth bit into his tail. He went to batter the beast to one side when it became a much larger crocodile with its teeth still firmly entrenched in his tail. The shocked shape shifter opened his mouth to scream in pain, but no sound came out. _What can I use to get free? _He thought in a panic. _She has my legs in her teeth and if I switch I lose them. _The boy silently screamed again as he felt Kishar's jaws go to work, savagely ripping into his flesh. Knowing he had no choice, he frantically thrashed around until he got free.

Racing away as a cheetah Beast Boy found his speed drastically reduced. Broken in places, with the flesh and muscles mangled, his legs were a mess. Effectively hobbled, he turned in dread expecting to see Kishar on his tail. Rather, she was standing some distance away in her human form.

"You can't even heal a simple wound like that?" She pointed to his legs. "That's ... pathetic." She sighed. "You know you can't beat me, so for the sake of ... well never mind. But if you follow that road." She pointed to a small trail. "You will come to a village. They'll treat your wounds. Leave now or die." She watched, waiting for his reaction.

Needing a chance to recuperate at least a little, Beast Boy took his time. There was only one choice, but the woman didn't know that. He glanced at the girl who stood some distance away. With her head slightly tilted, she seemed curious about the racket, but not afraid. Not the slightest scent of fear came from her. Puzzled, but knowing he still had to protect her, the shape shifter turned back to Kishar.

"I see." The woman noted aloud as she studied his stance. "You've had your chance."

Beast Boy pushed his broken legs to their limit, still using the form of a cheetah. He would close the distance as fast as he could, and hopefully when the woman shifted he would be able to change to something to counter it. If he thought fast enough, and acted fast enough, then maybe he could knock her unconscious. Only she didn't shift. When he was close enough, her hand lashed out to grab him by the throat with her nails, or maybe claws, tearing into his flesh. With a simple flick of her wrist, she tossed him to one side. There was disdain in her eyes as she did so.

_Strong as well as fast? _Thought the frightened boy as he struggling to think through the pain, to form a plan. Always able to think on his feet, an idea came to him. _If she tries that again, then just maybe there's still a chance. _He tried to stand, only to find his legs were now useless. If he wanted to charge it wouldn't be as anything that walked, and that meant his plan was useless. _Damn. _Beast Boy silently cursed as he became a golden eagle. His wings still whole, he flew into combat. Broken talons outstretched, he wondered if the woman would shift to something, or met him as a human. Success or failure, or rather his life and that of the girl, depended on what she chose to do. At the last second he became an elephant, hoping to knock her unconscious with his mass. _Surely she can't toss something this size around. _The boy hoped. To his dismay, Kishar simply stepped to one side. As he passed, something ripped open his side.

"You will die here." The woman said again. "Take the road and leave. Even now, the chances are you won't make it to the village. And if you do, there might no longer be anything they can do. You will bleed to death soon."

_'Never.' _The shape shifter growled. Unable to speak he placed the though in his mind, knowing she would be able to see it. He became a king cobra, and slithered into combat leaving a trail of blood behind him. When he was several feet from his foe, he lashed forward, striking with all the speed he could. Unable to kill, he was still trying to knock her unconscious, and at the last second became an elephant again. When she gracefully side-stepped his assault this time, something raked him across his left eye leaving him half blind.

Faint from loss of blood and pain, Beast Boy frantically struggled to move and think. The thought of giving up never entered his mind. He glanced toward the unmoving sacrifice puzzled. The girl still showed no signs of panic or alarm. _Drugged? _He wondered.

"Leave. I will even heal you enough to make sure you can get to the village." The offer came again. This time there was a hint of pleading in the woman's voice.

_Strange. _The desperate shape shifter thought. _She keeps saying I've had my chance, but then she suggests I take the road and leave. Now she's even offering to heal me. Too bad I can't take it. I'm going to die soon. _He was feeling cold, and his arms refused to move. There wasn't any sense of feeling from his legs, and the pool of blood around him was growing. Still he fought to move, to save the girl.

There was loud sigh. "Look at your skin. What color is it? What color are your ... is your eye? What color is my skin? My eyes?" Kishar sighed again. "Why won't you just leave."

"Green." Beast Boy said in a whisper, having returned to his human form. "But so what? What does it mean?" He managed to tilt his head so he could see the woman, and saw despite the light tan she had, there was a hint of green to her skin. As his eyes closed, he still had no idea what it meant. The pool of blood around him grew.

* * *

"You can leave now." Kishar said, turning to the young girl. The ropes that bound the unmoving sacrifice twisted and turned of their own accord before falling to the ground. The blindfold also fell. "Why do the villagers keep sending their children up here anyway?"

With her brown eyes looking curiously around, the girl gasped when she saw the dying form of Beast Boy. She gulped, staring.

"He'll be okay." Kishar said gently. "Be careful on your way down. It's getting dark." She paused in thought for a second. "Too dark actually." She opened her hand and closed her eyes for a second. A flashlight appeared.

"He ..." The girl gulped again, eyes still wide in shock.

"He will be okay." Kishar said in a calming tone. "But it's time for you to leave." The latter she stated a bit more forcefully.

The girl suddenly turned her eyes away from the shape shifter, realizing who was speaking to her. "Yes, goddess." She spoke humbly with a low bow before she turned to rush away. Not daring to approach close enough to take the offered light she ignored it.

The woman's lips turned up in amusement, and her eyes twinkled, as she watched the girl hurry down the trail. The flashlight flew from her hand to that of the child who gave a small yelp. "Make sure she gets back to her village safely." She spoke into the trees, and there was the rustling of bushes as something moved.

"Now, my little Garfield." Kishar said, turning back to the fallen shape shifter. "What to do with you." A hint of a smile played on her lips as she watched the legs of her son straighten and heal. The massive gashes that covered his body swiftly closed.

_Even if your skill as a shape shifter is lacking, your spirit is beyond questioning. _She silently admitted with pride.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Wonder why someone would steal Brave's cloak, and what for.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	7. Chapter 7

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_In the previous chapter Brave's adventure's were all in her mind. The gnolls and hobbits and such didn't really exist. I doubt Timid would stay in her labyrinth if she though there were hobbits beneath her. Raven was being sarcastic when she mentioned fire golems burning the cloak._

* * *

_**Awakening to Kishar,... The Borrower of Nevermore,... Meditating,...**_

He snuggled down beneath the single thin sheet that covered him, needing nothing more in the warmth of his native country. "A few more minutes." Beast Boy groaned when something prodded him. Slowly awareness returned, causing him to wonder who would be in his room. Opening his eyes, he looked around, ready to complain if the trespasser didn't have a good explanation for disturbing his restful slumber. Blinking, he saw Kishar watching him from a nearby chair.

"Morning." She said, greeting him with a smile. She pointed to a small tray. "It's been a while since I made breakfast for you, but if I recall correctly, you used to love porridge."

His nose twitched as the smell reached him, causing his stomach to rumble loudly. "The girl?" He simply asked. Noting that his wounds were gone, he prepared to fight if need be.

The woman waved her hand, dismissing the matter. "The whole problem with sacrifices." She said. "Is that the rush you get from them is so fleeting."

"Where is she? Why was she here if you didn't plan to kill her?" His fingers flexed as he thought of battle strategies.

With a sigh, realizing she would have to explain, Kishar sat back in her chair. "Why was she here? For some reason the villagers seem to think sending their children blindfolded up the path to the crazy old woman on the hill is a nifty idea." She shrugged. "It's a ritual all the girls go through. It was just a coincidence she was here when you arrived. I didn't harm her, and made sure she got back to her village safely. You know her scent, and can easily make sure she's safe."

"She was tied up." Beast Boy stated coldly.

"Just her hands." Kishar explained. "She could walk, still it's dangerous. I've had shrubs grow along the sides of the trail, so even with the blindfold they know they're on the edge when they brush against them."

"Oh." He gulped. "How would you know that ..."

"That the rush from a sacrifice is fleeting?" The woman frowned. "Though I don't approve of it, and have always discouraged it, a few such were made to me in the past. But I have never encourage it, and have at times even punished those who made them."

"Oh." The shape shifter gulped again, frowning.

"I won't lie." Kishar told him gently. "I have blood on my hands, but not that of innocents. I have never killed a child, and the crimes of those I have killed in the past would be at least that of murder." She shrugged. "They are those who would've killed again, so each life I took was balanced by those saved."

"How could you know?"

"The thoughts of others are clear to me when I choose to see them."

"Oh." He looked down. "Why not a jail or prison?"

"In times past there were few places worthy of the name. Those who live hand-to-hand, barely able to survive, do not waste time with the idea of such luxuries." Seeing he was still not pleased, she continued. "I took no power from them. I would not taint my soul with their darkness, and merely did what was necessary."

"Oh." The boy said again, still frowning. "There was no other way?"

"I could've placed them in some place void of people, but that would've been cruel. In a strange land they would've slowly starved or died from disease. A swift death was merciful."

"Oh." He repeated for the fifth time. His meeting with Kishar had not gone as expected.

"Do you wonder why I provoked the fight?" She tried to change the subject.

"No." Beast Boy shook his head. "That's understandable. For some reason I know you wish to teach me, but believe that it will lead to my being miserable. You were trying to protect me." He paused, thinking. "Also learning what you know would make me more powerful, and just handing power to someone isn't always wise. It was a test as well."

"I see." The woman sighed again. "You're right. Learning will cause you pain that I would rather you not have to face. As for the rest, be assured, even if your skills as a shape shifter are lacking, your spirit more than compensates. You are truly worthy of the color you bear."

He looked down at his skin, flexing his green hand. "What do you mean by color?"

"What does green mean to you?" Kishar asked. "Or perhaps I should ask, what does green means to the one you love so much?"

"To Raven... Hrm..." Realization struck him. "It's the color of Brave." He wondered if the woman knew about the emoticlones.

"The aspect of her bravery and courage." Kishar said smiling. "It's also her sense of nobility, which is a two-edge sword."

"How so?"

"Nobility taken too far is arrogance, otherwise known as pride, and has led to more death and destruction than I can ever be held accountable for." She peered at him closely, meeting his gaze with serious eyes that seemed to pierce his soul. "Rest assured, while you are courageous and noble, I have yet to see any hint of arrogance in you. I pray it remains that way."

"Oh." He looked at his green fingers again. "But I'm not a half-demon like her, so why would it affect me? I got this color from a disease."

"We'll talk about that later. For now eat before it gets cold."

Beast Boy took the bowl along with the spoon she offered. The flavor was for some reason strangely familiar. With his stomach rumbling he dug in, only to pause as he looked around. The porridge, flavored with fruits and nuts, spoke to his taste buds, and worked its way into his nostril until something in his brain lit up. "I've been here before." He said, looking at the room. "I've slept here before." He pointed at the door. "Across from here is your room." He blinked, blushing. "I've slept there too."

"You have." Kishar told him with a fond smile. "As a child the lightning always frightened you, so you would end up sneaking into my room."

"One room down is the washroom, then there's the place where I was never allowed." The faint memory caused him to smile. "It was your library."

"It still is, and it's still off limits. If you can get into trouble with what Raven has in her room, then there's no way I'm allowing you in there." The tone was firm, though it held a hint of humor.

"When was I here?"

"Your parents passed through here a few years before you were born. They were geneticists studying the wildlife, and I helped them on the condition they not bring others here. That even if they did discover something of importance, they not announce the location to the world. I value my privacy."

"Oh." Beast Boy repeated again. "So you knew them? My parent?" Curiosity filled his voice.

"We talked often, and when you were born they would have me look after you when they ventured into the more dangerous parts of Africa. You stayed here many time." She held out her hand and closed her eyes; a small box appeared. "Here." She handed it to the boy who blinked at the simple trick.

Beast Boy opened it. On top there was a single sheet of paper. Reading it he saw it was a contract offering aid in studying the area around the house of Kishar in exchange for privacy. It listed all the details of the simple agreement, while at the bottom there were three signatures; those of his mother and father, along with that of Kishar herself.

"I tend to like having a written contract." Kishar shrugged. "I find human memory tends to be lacking at times."

"You speak as if you're not human." He peered at the woman, studying her. She looked and smelled human.

"I'm not." She waved at the small box, obviously not willing to say more.

There were pictures, a lot of them. In glee the boy dug through them, seeing his parents as they'd been before he was born. Always they had smiles on their faces, and he noticed how in many of the photos the two were often gazing at each other with fondness. Clearly, they'd been deeply in love. Something tugged at his heart, and tears filled his eyes.

"Look a little deeper." Kishar said, with a hint of tears in her own eyes.

He did so, quickly flipping through picture after picture in a rush to explore this new treasure as if it would disappear. There were also a few pictures of Kishar, and despite what had to have been eighteen to twenty years, not a single hair had changed. He held up one photo that was of her alone and compared it with the woman; they were identical.

"Deeper." She urged him with a wave of her hand.

The shape shifter returned to the box, and finally came to a place where the pictures changed. Every photo now held as the main focus a baby with a hint of blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They were of him.

"That one is of the first time they brought you here." Kishar suddenly said excitedly, almost squealing as she sat down beside him. "You were so adorable. I mean all kids are cute, but you were so precious..."

_For someone who claims not to be human. _Beast Boy mused as he listened to every word. _She sure sounds a lot like one._

* * *

'_He finally called for another date.'_ Raven intoned, talking to Knowledge.

'_You could've phoned him.'_ The yellow-clad girl said. _'It would've been quicker.'_.

_'I just couldn't bring myself to do it.'_ The blue-clad girl shrugged. '_Bad enough I need to continue this charade.'_ She frowned. _'The way he talked to that waitress was ... it was the sort of think Rude would do or Rage.'_

_'He was certainly rude.'_ A certain orange-clad girl spoke up. _'I could almost like him if he wasn't so fishy.'_

_'Tomorrow pay close attention to what you eat and drink. Be careful.'_ Knowledge warned. She was sitting on the ground, holding her book tightly in both hands. Her glasses was nearly falling off, but she made no move to push them up.

'I will.' Raven sighed, having a feeling she was going to regret her next question. '_Any sign of Brave's missing cloak yet?"_

Knowledge echoed her sigh. '_No, but the thief struck again.'_ There was intense anger in the emoticlone's voice.

'What?' The blue-clad girl asked, knowing her premonition had been right. _'What was stolen this time?'_

The emoticlone, who was clearly upset, held up her book. _'It was stolen while I was sleeping. I looked and looked for it and couldn't find it.'_ The trembling girl paused to take a breath. _'Then I heard a shout and went to investigate._ _The book was there. It wasn't damaged, but it was missing for a few hours.'_

_'So long as I don't have to replace it. Any idea what the thief, or rather the borrower, wanted with it?'_

'_No, but they erased all my bookmarks.'_ The girl was now crying. '_All one hundred and eighty-seven thousand, two hundred, and ninety-six of them.'_

_'Oh.'_ Raven gulped, wondering why Knowledge had had those many bookmarks, and how she could've ever made sense of them. Her book worked much like a web-browser, only it allowed her to view aspects of Raven's life. With it she could do searches, as well as set bookmarks, and keep a history of what she visited.

'_And no clues about the thief?'_

'_No. It's puzzling. I can think of reasons why one of us would take Brave's cloak, and even reasons why they might steal my book, but not why they would want both._' The girl held the book tightly in one hand while she wiped at her tears with the other. '_I can't live without my book.'_ She sobbed, sounding terrified.

_'Which is why they would've given it back to you that way rather than waiting for you to sleep again.'_ Raven explained as comfortingly as she could. _'They would've seen you were ... upset ... and hurried to get it back to you. Besides, you know if need be, I would replace it so you would only be without it for a day at the most.'_

The girl nodded, sniffing as she wiped away more tears. '_But I was so afraid.'_ She said, still trembling. '_I'm not going to rest until that thief is caught._ _Then I want her kicked out of Nevermore for good.'_ There wasn't the slightest hint of mercy or compassion in her voice.

Raven gulped. _'That would hardly work.'_ She pointed out. _'I'm sure she would've had a reason, and we'll figure out what to do when she's caught.'_

'_We could put her in with Trigon.'_ The emoticlone suggested hopefully.

_'I don't think stealing warrants something so ... extreme.'_ The violet-eyed girl gulped again, wondering how having one of her emoticlones lynched would affect her. _'Keep searching.'_ She ordered. '_But don't do anything without my permission. Understood?'_

_'Okay.'_ Clearly the furious, yellow-clad girl didn't approve. Her eyes spoke of a vengeance that would've made Trigon himself pause and smile in approval.

* * *

"Meditation!" Yelped the green-skinned boy. "I got to meditate?"

"Yes." Kishar told him. "And just think. Rather than making fun of Raven for doing just that, you could've spent time with her, and developed your powers."

"Teasing her was more fun." Beast Boy admitted. "Why do I need to meditate though? She needs to keep her emotions in control. I don't."

"No. You're very skilled at separating the two." The woman admitted with some respect. "You can be as silly as you want one moment, and yet focus enough for shifting the next. But to look inside, and touch the source of your power, you need to focus for more than a brief instant."

"Okay." He sighed, sitting in a lotus position.

Kishar smiled in wonder at the boy who hadn't cried foul once at nearly being torn to pieces the day before, yet now whined at mere meditation. "Not only will being able to touch that power allow you to better transform, but there are other benefits as well."

"Such as?" Beast Boy asked, eyes closed.

"You'll be able to heal any wound instantaneously."

"Useful." The boy admitted, opening his eyes. "Very useful."

"You'll have access to other powers like telepathy. Maybe more."

"Cool."

The woman smiled. "And the green you're now is a sign that your power is uncontrolled. Control it, and you'll much more resemble your human self."

Beast Boy gulped. "No more being green? I won't be stared at if I go for something as simple as walk?" He gulped again, barely able to swallow.

"Some would still remain." The woman pointed to her hair. "But not to the extend that anyone would call you an alien, and try to capture you. Or think you're a mutated monkey and put you in a zoo."

"That would be nice." The shape shifter replied with a smile. "But the zoo wasn't too bad. Plenty of food, and a nice cool pool to play beside. Too bad they sold me to a laboratory for research."

* * *

End of Chapter.

And now a book temporarily went messing.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	8. Chapter 8

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Cyborg and Robin Have a Bad Day,... Practice,... Poor Happy/Poor Peppy,... A Fight in the Cold,...**_

Raven stared into space with a noticable frown on her face. Before her there was a half-eaten cinnamon muffin, and a luke-warm cup of herbal tea.

"Morning." Cyborg greeted the girl.

"Mrng" Came a not quite coherent reply.

"You okay?" The boy looked at his fellow Titan more closely. "You want some real food? I'll cook you up a steak in no time." Whistling cheerfully, he went to work.

_Steak? _Thought Raven, starting to drool. _Tofu. _She then thought, which lead to the name. _Beast Boy. _The girl looked at the high-spirited teen who was now placing several steaks in a large pan. She'd noticed that he'd cut down on the meat a lot since the shape shifter had left, which led to one conclusion; most of his meat eating before had been to irk Beast Boy. That in turn irked her. Clunk! Without Raven having willed it, the huge frying pan rose to smack Cyborg on the head.

"Ow." The startled teen exclaimed. "What was that ... Ow. Ow. Ow." He cried as the pan struck him several more times. "I'm sorry Raven. Whatever I did wrong I'm sorry." He cringed on the floor with his hands lifted to protect his head.

"What?" The blue-clad girl came out of her daze, and looked around. "What're you doing on the floor?" She asked, confused.

"I... Ummm..." The battered boy looked up with a confused expression of his own. "Are you okay Rae?"

"Waaa..." She suddenly started to wail uncontrollably.

"Raven?" Gulped Cyborg who looked worried.

"Life isn't fair." The girl sobbed. "Poor little Peppy. Waaa..."

"Peppy?" Asked the boy?

"Hey Cyborg." She suddenly cheered up. "How about cooking me some eggs and bacon."

"Sure. Anything Rae. I'll even add a steak in with that." He smiled nervously at her.

_Steak? Tofu? Beast Boy? _"You're mean to BB." Raven now roared in a rather demonic tone.

"What now?" Cyborg wondered nervously, deciding to call Robin and Starfire. Clunk! "Ow." He exclaimed as the frying pan went to work on him again. "Ow. Ow. Ow."

"Life isn't fair." The girl sobbed again, less demonically. "My Poor little Peppy." Heartbroken, she wailed out of control for several seconds. "Hey Cy." She suddenly greeted her puzzled friend with a smile. "How about some eggs?"

"I ... Ummm... Have to work on the T-car." He explained. "Maybe later."

"The T-car this, and the T-car that." The half-demon girl suddenly roared. "You didn't even let BB drive it once." She looked into space for a second with an expression of intense concentration on her face.

'Well, see Raven, I couldn't risk my baby in his hands. You know how terrible he's at driving."

"The look of intense concentration vanished only to be replaced by pure rage. "You like the T-car more than you do BB." She accused demonically. "You hate BB." She blinked. "Waaa... Life isn't fair. Poor little Peppy." She sobbed in a less demonic tone, clearly heartbroken.

Cyborg frantically scrabbled for his communicator. This was beyond him.

"You hate BB." The rage suddenly returned. Tendrils of powerful dark magic reached out to lift the frightened teen from the floor.

* * *

"You seen Cyborg?" Robin asked, entering the commons room several minutes later.

"Hrm." The violet-haired girl looked around, appearing disoriented. "I could've sworn he was here a few seconds ago."

"He was. There're steaks on the floor." Boy Wonder looked bewildered, knowing the meat loving teen would never waste meat like that.

Raven blinked. "Cy hates BB." She suddenly roared furiously before blinking again. "Waaa... My Poor little Peppy." She sobbed as tears streaked her face.

"Hrm. Raven? Are you okay?" Robin asked as he studied the girl with some apprehension. "We're having a meeting later on. Beast Boy was a big asset, and we need someone to temporarily fill in ..."

"You hate BB too." The half-demon girl accused with a look of pure fury.

"No." He gulped. "See, it's just until he gets ..."

A pot large enough to cook a feast for the entire Titan gang, including the honorary ones, floated out from beneath some shelves.

"Waa... Poor Peppy." Raven sobbed. "You hate BB too." She then wailed in a demonic tone.

"No... I ..." Boy Wonder's voice was suddenly cut off as he was stuffed in the pot, which was then placed in the freezer. To make room, all of Cyborg's precious steaks were dumped over the floor.

* * *

Kishar looked on in pride. It'd taken her pupil a mere ten days to reach inside and find the source of his power. The last four had been spent teaching him how to make use of it. "Just the right hand." She instructed.

Beast Boy looked down at his hand, flexing the fingers. While he still couldn't instantaneously merge into two animals at once, he'd learned how to control parts of his body. Focusing, he felt his flesh stretch as fur rippled out across his hand. Pain was pushed to one side when he felt the bones bend to take on a new shape, sometimes cracking in the process. Blood vessels, not just those in his hand but throughout his body, enlarged to feed the more muscular hand, or rather paw. Tendons painfully restructured themselves while claws, long and sharp, erupted from his fingers."

"Good." The woman smiled. "That was less than two seconds. Very good. Now stop with the slow shifting, and just make it happen."

The boy nodded gratefully with a small sigh of relief. At least when doing a quick shift there wasn't time to feel pain. The sweat that covered him was only partly due to the sun that beat down on them without mercy. Focusing, he grinned as his hand instantly shifted back to normal.

"Alter your left hand, and then shift it back to normal. Then do the same with your right hand. Repeat ten times."

The shape shifter went to work. His hands shifted at his will, transforming into paws, and then back to hands repeatedly in quick succession.

"I'm so proud of you." The grinning woman pulled him into a hug. "Pew. You stink." She said with a smirk.

Looking at her, the boy noticed that despite the overwhelming heat, the woman had yet to break a sweat.

"Now." Kishar continued the lesson. "Shift your right hand, and swipe at the post. Then repeat with your left. Do it until you lose your focus. Use some of your power in the strikes."

Beast Boy just nodded, and turned to the steel post that'd appeared one day. Quickly he shifted his right hand into a paw, pushing a tiny amount of the energy he could sense at the center of his being into the claws. The swipe left deep grooves in the piece of solid steel. The paw returned to normal, and he repeated the process with his left hand.

"Excellent." The woman praised him. "You're a quick learner."

"Then why do I suck as a shape shifter?" The boy asked, still focusing on his attacks. It was expected that he be able to at least hold a conversation while doing the practices. As Kishar had explained to him, if he couldn't then too much of his attention was in shifting, and too little on his surroundings. In a fight that could be fatal.

"You learned a few bad habits as a child, and carried them with you." She shrugged. "Nothing that can't be fixed." Silently she counted the strikes. "A hundred and forty-seven." She smiled again, pulling the exhausted boy in for another hug.

_Kishar. _Beast Boy noted without complaint. _Was all about hugs and touching._

* * *

"What's going on?" Raven demanded. She'd been having mood swings all day, and had decided to actually enter her mirror rather than using meditation to check up on things. Before her was Happy, who was sobbing pitifully, while Knowledge and Affection tried to comfort her. The other emoticlones were scattered around, looking on with unhappy frowns of their own. Rage, she noted, had her right hand clenched.

"Poor Peppy." The pink-clad girl screamed. "He's dead. Someone murdered him." She let out a wail of heart-wrenching grief.

"Peppy?" The less than patient sounding empath asked with a growl.

"She named her trees." Affection said, gently rubbing the girl's back to sooth her.

"The thief struck a few hours ago." Knowledge explained, pointing to the stump that was all that remained of a tree.

"Poor Peppy." Happy screamed again, close to collapsing.

"This is getting to be a pain." Raven muttered savagely, glad that the reason she'd been feeling weepy all day was now explained, yet still seriously annoyed. With a sigh, she knelt before the stump and touched it. _Why is it always pink when it comes to her. _The blue-clad girl wondered as she sent her soul into the stump, studying it. Slowly she caused it to reform branch by branch, and accursed pink leaf by accursed pink leaf, so that it was identical to the one that'd been cut down.

"Peppy." The pink-clad emoticlone screamed in joy, sniffing as she wiped away her tears. "Is it really you?" She knelt to count its branches and leaves.

Glad she'd made the new tree identical to the lost one, Raven gritted her teeth before turning back to Knowledge. "Explain." She demanded.

The yellow-clad girl gulped, taking a step back from their enraged leader. "All I know is that a few hours ago Happy started screaming. When we arrived we found one of her trees gone."

"And you still don't know who the thief is?" Her tone demanded that the news be good.

"Sorry." Knowledge replied, taking another step back. "I've done research and ..."

"And?" Raven growled.

"Well, hypothetically speaking, I only know of one person who could be the thief." The trembling yellow-clad girl admitted, taking another step back. "But I know for a fact it's not her."

"Who?"

"Me."

Raven blinked. "Who?" She asked again.

"Me. Only I would have a motive to commit all those crimes. But I didn't do it. I swear."

The empath closed her eyes. "Explain."

"I might have taken Brave's robe to see if there was any difference between our cloaks. I might've cut down Happy's tree to see how they were made. The missing book would be an attempt to avert suspicion." The yellow-clad girl gulped. "But I swear I didn't do it."

"I know." Raven sighed. "Your anger at the thief was too intense. I could sense it. If you wanted to compare robes you would've just asked. If you wanted to see how the tree was formed you could've seen it from the book. It wasn't you."

"Whew." Knowledge sat down on the ground. "I was so afraid you would think it was me. I'm the only person with a possible motive for all three crimes."

"I suggest you stop looking through the book, and do more leg work." Her tone made it a command.

"I will." Knowledge hurried to assured her. "I just though I could find the culprit by their motive. But I can't figure out why a single person would commit all three crimes."

"Just find them." Raven looked to see how Happy was doing, only to find the joyful pink-clad girl had gotten caught in the branches of her precious Peppy. "Someone pull her loose." She ordered through clenched teeth. To her surprise, Rage stepped forward to help.

"About Mark?" Knowledge asked in a tone that remind Raven of Timid..

"You know as much as I do." The blue-clad girl fumed. "Two dates and no sign he's using drugs. For all we know it could've been just a reaction to the drink. It was, after all, just a suspicion. And, as you've just proved, book knowledge doesn't always work." She gave another very unRaven-like sigh. "One more date to make sure, and I'll just dump him." The tone of the annoyed girl suggested further inquires would be met with deadly force.

"Okay." Knowledge carefully backed away from their leader. "I'll look for the thief." She promised.

"And Mark is away on business for a few days." Raven said, sounding a bit relieved. "No dates for a while."

She left Nevermore knowing the reason why she'd been so weepy, yet puzzled at the bouts of anger she'd felt. _Maybe it's just Brave, Knowledge, and Happy being angry at the thief. _The girl mused. Yet it didn't ring true, only Rage had that sort of affect on her.

* * *

The shape shifter fought with everything he had, lashing out with attack after attack at the woman who easily blocked or evaded every blow. It was humiliating. He used his ability to form weapons such as claws at will, yet she didn't bother with such trivialities. Once he'd wondered if Boy Wonder was the best martial artist in the world, but that was no longer the case; the woman before him far outclassed the Titan's leader.

"Enough." Kishar stepped back, not even breathing hard.

Nearly dropping from exhaustion, Beast Boy didn't blink when the woman closed her eyes briefly, causing the weariness that tore at him to vanish. That was one of the benefits of training with her. He might still need eight hours of sleep a night, and a few decent meals, but other than that anything went. Wounds were healed instantly, and even dropping from fatigue was no barrier.

"Let's see how well you do against someone you've fought before." The woman mused.

Beast Boy caught the green robe that was tossed at him? "Why do I have to wear this?" He asked, putting it on. "And who am I going to fight?"

"Because it's cold, and you'll see soon enough."

"It's not cold ..." The boy blinked and looked around. Suddenly he pulled the robe tighter as the icy-cold wind whipped at him. He was pretty sure they were no longer in Africa.

"Let a little of your energy flow into your blood. It'll warm you." Kishar instructed. "Here's the rules for the fight. You can shift any part of your body you want, but only a part. No complete shifting. Merging two animals is just doing that twice, so practicing it will help with that as well. Use power in your attacks."

"Where are we?"

"At a research station in Alaska. The remains of an ancient civilization was found here, and some people are investigating." She shrugged. "One of the villains you've fought before has taken interest in some of the relics."

"Oh. Who?"

"I'm the greatest." A familiar voice boomed out. "No one can stop the great Adonis, and once I get her to translate this I'll be unstoppable."

"Oh. Guess that's who." Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "What's he after?"

"Just a ring that lets a person boost their strength ten-fold." The woman sighed, for once showing a hint of weariness. "I would advise you not to wear it."

"Why?"

"What it gives in strength, it takes away in years. Ten times the strength, but at the cost of a year of your life for each minute it's worn." She paused. "Worn and activated that is. It's just a trinket unless you know the words that turn it on."

"Pretty brutal exchange." Beast Boy whistled. "Who would make something like that? An hour, two hours tops, and you're dead."

"Those who made it were ageless. For them there were no drawbacks." She pointed. "I suggest you get a move on before he leaves."

"First Jump City, and then the world." The familiar voice gloated. "Girls love a guy with power. They'll all fall for me, the great Adonis."

The shape shifter hurried towards the small building that the voice had come from. He was halfway there when a red figure smashed its way out through the brick wall.

"But first I'll pay those brats a visit and beat down that dog they keep as a pet." Adonis crowed. "I'll smash that stupid Beast Boy's face into the cement so often it'll be flatter than a pancake." The two-bit villain was so lost in his diatribe that he walked right past the object of said diatribe.

_Wow. _Beast Boy though sarcastically. _It's nice to know some of the villains take me seriously._

"No one beats the great Adonis. I'll squash that pint-sized freak like a worm..."

"Hey." Beast Boy yelled up, sounding little irritated. "I may be short but I'm ... umm. Never mind. I might be a worm, err, I mean I can become a worm but ..." The shape shifter sighed. _I wonder if Raven is right and my jokes are lame? I mean, how funny can I be when I can't even come up with a single comeback. _

"Out of my way midget. The great Adonis has great things to do." The giant figure went to swipe the pest from his path.

Nimbly rolling under the attack, the shape shifter still struggled to come up with a comeback. "I might be short but ... I mean I might be a midget but ..." He sighed again.

"What are you saying, shorty. The great and tall Adonis can't heart you from all the way down there."

"Ah the heck with it. Let's just fight." Beast Boy shifted his right hand into a paw resembling that of a lion, and pushing some of the power at his center into his claws, took a swipe that left deep grooves into the neural interfaced suit his foe wore."

"Ouch." The red-clad figure shrieked. "How did you do that? This is pure titanium."

"Who cares." Beast Boy growled. "Since I suck at snappy comebacks, let's just get this over with."

"The great Adonis will play squish the bug with you, but the little bug won't like it." The villain raises his titanium fists and brought them down in a swift and sure double strike.

"Eep." The shape shifter let loose with small startled yelp as he was effectively attacked from three directions. The fists were coming in from his upper left, and his upper right, so dodging to either side was out, as was jumping. Instinctively he ran, or rather dove, for the safest spot he could find, between the legs of the villain. Coming up behind his foe, he slashed with his claws again.

"Stupid pest thinks it can challenge the great Adonis." The massive red-clad figure roared in fury.

_Quick! What's a snappy comeback? _Beast Boy wondered. Moving with the villain as he turned, he slashed with his claws twice more before Adonis jumped away, opening the distance between the two.

"Little bug go splat." The enraged villain roared, charging.

_I rather not, thank you very much. _The shape shifter gulped, racing to met the oncoming giant. He once again rolled beneath those two massive fists, and struck from behind twice more.

"Damn. Pest." Adonis screamed, clearly losing his temper. "I'm the greatest, and you're nothing. How dare you hurt me?"

_If the alternative is I get hurt, then I dare. _Beast Boy thought, racing away as the giant managed to turn towards him.

_'He's not an idiot.' _A familiar voice calmly spoke in the boy's mind_. 'Don't try going under those fists next time.'_

_'Okay.' _The green-skinned Titan managed to reply, before hurling himself at his foe. Just as the fists were about to come into range, he pivoted on his left foot, putting him behind the giant. Idly, he noted that the hands had been lower than usual, anticipating that he would roll beneath them again. With a slight grin he slash before racing away.

'_You're hitting where the armor is thick.' _Kishar said, sounding disappointed. _'Strike where it's thin.'_

Beast Boy studied his foe, noting how thick the armor around the arms were, as well as the upper legs and chest. On the head it was rather thin, but he didn't want to kill. His eyes moved over the villain's waist where it didn't seem particularly thick, and then slid down to the knees and then the ankles. He grinned. _'Stupid of me.' _He silently muttered, as he pondered which weak point to strike at.

_'I agree.' _Kishar intoned with a hint of humor. '_Now cripple him.'_

The boy raced at his foe once again, this time pivoting on his right foot. As he did so, he dropped low and made two violent strikes at the closest of the two gigantic titanium ankles. Pushing power into his claws, he jabbed with them rather than slashing, burying them deep into the titanium armor each time. When he quickly dashed out of reach of the villain's counter strikes, he noted with satisfaction that the titanium-clad form was limping.

"Damn you. How dare you think you can match the great Adonis." The villain screamed in rage. "I'll tear you to shreds you pest. No one hurts the great Adonis."

The next time Beast Boy rolled under the fists again, and struck for the back of the knee on the other leg. When he raced away the wounded villain didn't follow.

The shape shifter worked quickly, striking at the remaining knee and ankle. When he was finished the enraged egotistical villain was effective immobilized. It was a matter of less than a minute to strip the armor from the screaming boy, or man, who continued to rant about being the greatest, and how everyone would pay.

* * *

Not knowing why, Beast Boy took the ring before returning to where Kishar had watched the fight. "Here." He handed it to her.

The woman looked at it for a second and closed her hand. When she opened it the ring was gone.

"What did you do with it? Destroy it?"

Kishar seemed to puzzled over her response before replying. "No. There are those who might still use it safely. Or even those who're willing to bear the price for a great enough cause. I hid it. Where, even I don't know."

"You hid it, but you don't know where? And you claim us humans are sometimes lacking when it comes to memory."

Kishar reached out to pat the boy on the head with fondness. "If I kept it, it might be stolen. Rather I cast it randomly into the void. I have no idea where it will land. If someone finds it, the spells I placed on it will alert me. But for now it's lost."

"Strange way of hiding something." Beast Boy mused.

"It's effective." Kishar shrugged nonchalantly. "Even if someone defeats me, they can't steal what I don't have."

"Oh. I see. Now no thief can get it. Someone has to find it without knowing where to look, and that might take a while."

"I figure it'll be several thousand years before it's found again." The woman smiled with a hint of mischievousness in her eyes. "So you wish to make funny comebacks when villains put you down? Want my advice?"

"Always." Beast Boy looked at the woman hopefully, wondering what advice she would give as he dreamed of the great comebacks he would be able to taunt villains with.

"If you're thinking about snappy comebacks, you're not thinking of the fight. So forget them."

"Oh." The shape shifter pouted.

Kishar laughed at her son's response. "A few insults thought out beforehand might be handy in making them lose their temper, but during the fight, keep your mind on the fight. Let them waste valuable time while you plan a strategy." She frowned and her tone turned serious. "Just don't be drawn into their game and become angry. Anger is the one thing you must always be wary of."

"With Adonis that is one thing I have to work on." The boy admitted with a sigh. "He always brings out my bad side."

* * *

End of Chapter.

Poor Happy. Poor Peppy.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	9. Chapter 9

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_This chapter does show where Raven put Cyborg._

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Early Morning Lesson,... The Midnight Villain,... The Stones,... Poor Cyborg,...**_

"Ow." Beast Boy awoke with a yelp. Reaching up to rub his stinging nose, his eyes turned to the culprit accusingly.

"You're almost impossible to wake up." Kishar said with an amused shake of her head. "That was the eighth time I did that, and I wasn't exactly being gentle."

The boy stifled a yawn, sinking back down on the bed. His eyes started to close again. "Ow." He yelped.

"Make that nine. Want to try for ten?" The woman asked, grinning.

"It's still dark?" Beast Boy yawned again with his head slowly sinking back onto his pillow.

"Huh?" The woman looked on in disbelief. With another tiny amused shake of her head she decided to try another approach. Leading down, she gently blew into the boy's ear, while she ran a finger slowly down his chest. "Mind if I ravish you?" She asked huskily.

The impossible to awake boy sat up, eyes wide. Slowly, clearly stunned, he blinked. "Huh?"

"I have a few things to do today." Kishar said standing. "So your lesson starts early."

Thirty minutes later the weary boy, having showered and ate, sat down in front of his mentor who held a familiar looking knife in her hand. "That looks scary." He commented nervously, eyeing the blade he'd seen the first time they'd met. Black as the night, it still seemed to absorb all light.

"Slash your palm." The woman ordered. "If nothing else maybe that'll wake you up." She held out the knife.

"Slash? You mean cut?" The shape shifter now eyed the blade with more than idle curiosity. "Is it magic?" He asked, gulping nervously.

"Hrm. What is magic? I guess you could say it is." Kishar held the blade up, and to the watching shape shifter's fascination, it was absorbed into her flesh. A second later it reappeared. "It's formed from my power, but in affect it's just a knife and nothing else." She held the blade out again.

"Oh." Gingerly, the boy reached out to take the offered blade as if it would bite. A few seconds later he'd made a small, barely noticable, cut on his left palm.

"Wuss." Kishar said. "Make it at least big enough that I can see it."

"Why?" He made the cut a little bigger.

"Now become any shape you choose, then return to your human self."

Beast Boy obeyed, becoming a panther for a split second before he resumed his human form.

"Why did you keep the cut?" Kishar asked, peering at it.

"What do you mean? I cut myself, so of course I got a cut." He thought the answer was obvious.

"You just basically took your entire body apart cell by cell, and then put it back together again. Why keep the cut?"

"I... Ummm." The shape shifter shrugged. "That's just the way it works?" He replied, making it a question.

"Actually, keeping the cut, or any injury for that matter, makes shifting harder." Kishar countered. "When you change form, you've got to keep in mind what you're changing from as well as what you're changing into. By adding the cut to that, you're just adding unnecessary details."

"Hrm." Beast Boy stared at the cut. _Could it really be that simple? _He wondered.

"It is." Kishar answered the unspoken question. "When you shape shift slowly you can feel your body breaking at times right? Yet when you're fully formed those breaks are no longer there. Muscles rip, tendons tear, bones crack, yet at the end whatever you turn into is unblemished. This is no different. Shift again, but this time leave the cut out of the shifting process. It's one of those bad habits you've learned that it's time to unlearn."

It was sixty-three shifts later before the boy gazed at his hand to see that while it was coated in blood, it was free of the cut.

"Now do it a thousand time. But don't cut the same place too often." Kishar ordered.

Beast Boy fell over, sprawling on the ground in shock. "A thousand?" He spluttered, cringing.

"A thousand." The merciless woman replied. "It takes practice to get rid of a bad habit, and that one is rather well ingrained in you."

Beast Boy gulped. "Is that one thousand attempts, or ..."

"That's one thousand cuts healed, not one thousand time shape shifting. Thought if you manage to do it in one thousand shifts maybe I will ravish you." Her eyes sparked as she teased the boy.

Red faced, the boy made another cut on his other hand. _This is going to take a while. _He quietly sighed. _But given it means I'll never have to deal with Cyborg's bedside manner again it'll be worth it. _Determined to look at the bright side, he shifted into a panther and back. The cut was still there.

"Seems I won't get to ravish you." Kishar pouted, oozing disappointed. She laughed at the shape shifter's expression. "There're other benefits to this." The woman said with a mischievous grin.

"Such as?" Beast Boy knew whatever she was going to say would just embarrass him more, but he couldn't help but ask.

"Well, as a half-demon I'm sure Raven is going to have quite a ..." She grinned. "Well, let's just say you better have some stamina between the sheets."

"Waa..." He went sprawling again, face a beet red.

"Just think." Kishar said, giggling at the boy's expression. "You shoot off your little soldiers, and what does your body do? It sees it as an injury and works to replace them. This way you can reload in no time. With enough practice you won't even need to shift, just order your body to heal."

"Gaaa." Beast Boy's faced was now the color of blood.

Kishar giggled again before continuing the lesson in a more serious tone. "Even something like exhaustion is merely an injury expressed by chemicals in your blood. It won't be as easy as healing a minor cut, but one day you'll just be able to will that exhaustion away."

"That'll be nice." The boy managed to stammer.

"You'll eventually have to rest to restore the energy that's at the core of your power. But it means in a fight you've never be tired. If you're evenly matched, then you can wear an opponent down."

"Is that why you're never tired when we spar?" The shape shifter asked hopefully, trying to regain some of his dignity.

"No." The woman paused in thought. "But those sparing sessions will be excellent practice for you to learn. From now on, each hit I land will be a cut you'll have to heal while fighting."

"Each ..." With a shudder of terror Beast Boy collapsed to the floor. Their sparring sessions could last hours, and he had yet to block a single one of her attacks. _I'll be literally sliced and diced several thousand times over. _He thought, eyes wide. _One hit every two seconds for two ... _His face turned white. _Gaaaa... Someone help ..._

* * *

"Why is there a hole in the back seat?" Raven asked in a monotone..

"It's ... hmm... So I can get stuff from the trunk while in the car." Cyborg explained with a little shudder.

"Convenient." The violet-eyed girl intoned.

The cybernetic teen seemed to sniff a little, and a single tear escaped his one human eye to run down his cheek. "My poor baby." He whispered.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked. Perplexed as she was, she skillfully hid it.

"I'm fine. And just for the record I love Beast Boy." The steering wheel seemed to bend a little beneath his hands.

"I see." The violet-eyed girl blinked, becoming more and more perplexed. "I'm sorry Cy." She said, trying to sound comforting. "But I don't think BB swings that way."

The titanium-clad Titan said nothing, but the steering wheel was now definitely a little bent out of shape.

Raven took another look at the hole that led to the trunk before glancing outside where rain, whipped around by hurricane force winds, poured from a pitch-black sky. It seemed the saying that crime never sleeps was true. In this weather, and despite it being twelve midnight, the alarm had sounded, compelling the Titans to crawl out of their cozy beds.

"Is not the night glorious, friends?" Starfire asked in her ever-cheerful voice.

"Not if you're a transformer." The half-demon girl replied apathetically, watching as a bolt of lightning stuck the transformer on a nearby telephone pole. It burst into flames while every light on the block flickered and went out. It was the first lightning strike of the night, but not the last. Nor was it the last transformer to meet an early demise.

"We're here." Cyborg said, nearly yelling. With each lightning strike he'd let out a small shriek, and muttered ceaselessly about his poor baby.

"Thank Azar." Raven muttered to herself, pulling up her hood.

* * *

Inside an electronics store they found Gizmo staring forlornly through a large glass window into the chaos outside.

"It's the pint-sized psycho." Cyborg cried out, seeing the small figure. There was anger in his voice that probably had something with the villain once destroying his baby, the T-car.

"What are you doing here, Tin Man?" Gizmo shrieked angrily. "Did the lightning fry a chip and you get lost?" He touched the harness he wore over his green suit, and two rockets leapt from his backpack.

The cybernetic teen grabbed a nearby shelf and tried to use it as a shield. The missiles froze in their flight for a second before swooping around the barrier. Two small explosions rocked the titanium-clad Titan. Climbing to his feet the boy appeared to be dazed, but otherwise fine. Raising his sonic cannon, he struck back.

"Same old tricks, CyBooger." The taunting villain retorted as jets blasted from his harness, carrying him to safety.

"You're outnumber four to one." Robin yelled. "There's no way you can win." He held a birdarang, ready to attack if the villain didn't surrender.

"So surrender then." Gizmo yelled. "But I'm not taking it easy on you because you're one short." Two blasters emerged on his battle-harness to lash forth with bolts of plasma. Going into rapid-fire mode, the deadly weapons sent the Titans scurrying. Five seconds later, having burned through their power supply, they retreated back into the harness.

"Short." Cyborg laughed as he aimed his sonic cannon again. "I would've thought you'd be afraid to use that word."

"Here's a new trick." The enraged pint-sized villain yelled. Holding out his hand, a glowing bronze bell formed in the air. As the blast from the sonic cannon hit it, it seemed to vibrate.

"Waaa..." Screamed Cyborg as he was knocked backwards through three shelves of various electronics.

"It amplifies any sound that hits it, and then reflects it back." Gizmo screamed triumphantly. "How's that for ... Hey!" He yelped as his suit detected an incoming birdarang, and sent him flying out of the way. It then twisted him around the other way to evade a levitating black shelf that swung at him like he was a baseball.

"You should surrender villain." Starfire said, raining forth starbolts.

"I got a better idea." The villain dodged the girl's first attack, along with another attempt by Raven to hit a home run with her makeshift bat, and hit a new button. "Birdie boy, I wonder what sort of detonators you got for those discs of yours, because if they come from Wayne Enterprises then you're in for a surprise."

Robin barely blinked as, with a quick movement, he reached into his satchel to get rid of the explosive discs he carried. The second they flew from his hand they ripped apart several shelves, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. Unfortunately for the Titan's leader he was out of time, and he also used the same detonators on his freeze discs. Covered in an inch-thick layer of ice, Boy Wonder ceased to move.

_Not good. _Raven noted, seeing two of the Titans taken out of the fight already. Focusing, she tried to swat the tiny villain from the air.

"Where is the dog anyway, did you get rid of the mutt to get a new pet?" Gizmo taunted his foes with a grin, confident of victory with his upgraded bag of techno-tricks.

"Don't dis B dude." Cyborg yelled frantically, staggering up from the floor with sparks erupting from his sonic cannon.

Inside his prison of ice, Boy Wonder's expression somehow changed from one of surprise to absolute terror.

"Eeep!" Shrieked Starfire who dove under a shelf.

_Dog? _Thought Raven. _Mutt? Pet? Does he mean BB? _The shelf she'd been wielding dropped to the floor with a thunking sound. _Dog? Mutt? Pet? _For a brief second her eyes glowed red, and there appeared to be four of them. _Dog? Mutt? Pet? _Two gigantic hands lashed forth at the pint-sized villain who was laughing.

"Ha. Another old trick by the witch." Gizmo taunted with a smile when the hands missed him, passing on each side.

"_**GO TO PERDITION**_!" A demonic voice roared, and the hands ripped the roof off the store.

"No!" Screamed Gizmo, looking up in horror. He shrieked even louder when those two hands, which he'd never seen move quite like that, grabbed him and lifted him high into the violent and terrifying electrical storm. To cram more goodies into his battle-harness he'd cut some things out, and ... Bolt after bolt of raw power surged down from the sky to strike the improvised lightning rod.

"Dude, I warned you not to dis B." Cyborg whispered.

* * *

"Where're you going?" Beast Boy asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him. In his four weeks with the woman, she hadn't once left on any mysterious tasks. _Though given the way she can teleport around the world. _He mused. _How would I know?_

"Want to come?" Kishar asked. A disc made of darkness appeared, and she stood on it. She gazed down at him with a questioning look.

"That's sort of like the discs Raven makes for travelling." He stepped on it and sat down.

"Similar function, similar form." The woman shrugged. "With magic a circle is easier to create than say a square, so we would both create a disc. As for the color, I could make it green if you wish, but I really don't see the need."

"Could you make any color?"

"With more effort. For me black and green are easiest. For Raven I would imagine black and blue would be."

"Why?"

"So many questions. Aren't you supposed to slicing and dicing that pretty hide of yours?" She ruffled his hair playfully.

With a sigh Beast Boy stared at the knife, and slashed the back of his left hand. After seven attempts, shifting to a cat and back, the cut disappeared.

"It's not taking you long to get the hang of it." Kishar said.

"You're right, it will be easier once I can keep myself from thinking I should carry any wounds with me when transforming." The boy slashed the back of his right hand. Six changes to a small dog later it was gone. "Why are my powers so much like yours?" He asked, studying his hand for a second before turning it over and cutting the back of his arm. His question was met with silence. Eight times as a parrot and the slash disappeared.

Bending down Kishar took the knife. "Watch." She ordered. The weapon vanished, absorbed into her flesh. A second later an identical blade appeared. "When you can do that, ask again."

Beast Boy blinked. "You mean I'll be able to create things like knives as well?"

"That and more. What do you think happens to your clothes when you shift?"

"Hrm... No idea." He admitted. "Will I be able to create a disc like this?"

"I doubt it." Came the nonchalant reply. "You'll be able manipulate your body and what you wear, but telekinesis and such won't be among your box of tricks."

For a while they sat in silence. The woman stared out into space while the shape shifter practiced healing minor cuts.

* * *

The disc dropped swiftly to the ground and vanished.

"What's ..." Beast Boy paused, looking at the rock, or rather the massive boulder, they'd landed beside. Cube shaped, it was maybe thirty feet to a side and heavily inscribed with runes. Half sunk in the mud and well weathered, he figured it'd been there for a very long time; perhaps even thousands of years. Slowly, he walked towards it, studying the markings.

"You know what this is?" Kishar asked.

"It's a lot like the stone we had for protection against Trigon when he ... Well, you probably know. You seem to know everything else." He flashed a smile at her. "Did Azar make this?" The monks of Azarath as far as he knew were the only ones who could've. Or at least he'd been told they were the only source of such stones.

"No. I did." The woman touched the boulder and closed her eyes, causing the massive rock to glow green.

Beast Boy blinked again, knowing what Kishar was doing; she was sending her soul into the relic.

"As I've said." The woman slowly spoke while she concentrated. "I like my privacy." She looked up and grinned at him. "Still it's a pain to maintain these. There're five in a pentagram, and they've got to be recharged thirteen times a year according to a certain celestial cycle." A hint of mischievousness appeared in her eyes. "Actually it's pretty hard to forget the day, they coincide with my period."

"Your ..." Suddenly realizing what she meant, Beast Boy turned a bright red.

Kishar laughed. "You know, you're so easy to tease." She smiled kindly. "Come here and touch the stone."

Gulping, the boy did so. The power that radiated from them made it seem like he meditating, touching the source of his own power.

"When charged they create a barrier that extends twenty miles around my house." The woman explained. "Even Trigon can't pass that. A while back I tutored Azar much like I'm doing with you. That's where she learned how to make them." She smiled, recalling fond memories.

* * *

The T-car pulled into the garage of the Titans Tower with three weary occupants. Starfire, had decided the weather was splendid and had opted to fly back. It seemed rain was rare on Tamaran, and was usually celebrated.

"Oh man. I'm tired of getting frozen." Boy Wonder said with a deep sigh. "I'm heading up to take a warm shower. Anyone even thinks about stealing any of _my _hot water, and I'll freeze them." He growled the later.

"At least she doesn't force you to hurt your baby." Cyborg said in a whisper.

"What are you two talking about?" Raven asked, getting out of the backseat of the T-car.

"Nothing." The two chorused together. "Absolutely nothing."

"I know I've been acting weird lately, and I'm trying to work it out. Have I hurt anyone ..." She gulped, actually looking scared.

"No." Cyborg and Robin chorused again.

"You're a bit ... unpredictable." Robin said.

"But we're learning how to cope." Cyborg smiled at her.

"You've explained how I call Beast Boy, BB, and lash out whenever I hear anything bad about him?" Raven intoned with just a hint of a quaver in her voice. "But I really can't understand why I would do that, or how my emoticlones could be doing it. Are you sure I haven't hurt anyone?" She still looked scared.

"Yeah." Robin said. "So long as we don't say anything bad about the guy it's okay."

Raven nodded. "So long as I'm not hurting anyone." She turned away and headed for her room, too weary to teleport. All she wanted was a good night's sleep.

"That little grass stain had better hurry back." Cyborg said under his breath with a weary sigh of his own. "I don't know how much more I can take. My poor baby."

_Little? Grass Stain_? The words barely carried to the violet-eyed girl.

"No!" Screamed Cyborg as he was lifted and forcibly crammed into the trunk of the T-car, which was then slammed shut. A block of stone, ripped from the wall, was placed on it.

Raven shook her head, looking confused for a second. _I really need some sleep. _She said, slowly climbing the steps.

"Tofu, and tofu, and more tofu." Robin muttered as he searched through the cupboards. "Now where is the hot chocolate? It'll warm me up. Beast Boy's been gone for a month now; should toss out the tofu, it smells and clutters things up."

_Tofu? Beast Boy? Toss out?_

"No." Screamed Robin as the freezer door opened by itself, and something grabbed him. "Not again."

* * *

End of Chapter.

In case you're wondering, the hole in the backseat of the T-car is an escape hatch.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	10. Chapter 10

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Don't Hurt Snappy,... Sparring,... Revelations,...**_

_Okay, this has got to stop. _Raven told herself, looking calm despite the seething rage that burned within her. In the kitchen she'd just seen Robin practically encased in blankets drinking hot chocolate. Cyborg had been across from him, head resting on the table muttering about his poor baby. Three days ago she'd finally learned what Rage, who else could it be, was doing to her fellow Titans. _No one hurts my friends. _The blue-clad girl fumed. _No one! _ With a savage yank, she pulled open the drawer where she kept the mirror that was her portal to Nevermore.

"Where's Rage." Raven bellowed, appearing in the Azar forsaken land that no sane mind would've dreamt up. _Pink this and pink that. _She fumed, taking a few seconds in her all-consuming fury to comprehend what lay before her. She blinked with a queasy feeling in her stomach. Sure, she'd meant to give that blasted red-clad emoticlone a piece of her mind, but this was too much. She gulped.

Timid was hidden behind one of those pink trees. That was pretty normal; it was basically what the girl did a lot of the time. The look of sheer terror on her face was out of place though, even for her. The rest of scene was anything but what one would expect in such a tranquil setting.

"We caught the thief." Knowledge said with triumph written across her face. There was a sense of satisfaction in her smile, and her eyes radiated pure glee.

"I see." Raven gulped, still staring in disbelief.

A badly battered and bruised Rage was on the ground, thrashing around for all she was worth. Despite the way her hands and feet were securely tied with fragments of her red cloak she was putting up one heck of a struggle. A red gag, probably another fragment of her badly savaged cloak, kept the frantic emoticlone from speaking, or using magic.

"Hold still you thieving, BB ravishing, nutcase." Brave yelled throwing a punch at the bound girl.

"Mmmmm." Was the response of the red-clad girl who twisted and turned, thrashing as if her life depended on it. Her four red eyes glowed with a mixture of raw fury and desperate panic.

"Hold her still." Brave ordered, growling. Her punch had missed due the way Rage had squirmed, and had instead brushed the trunk of a tree.

"Don't hurt Snappy." Happy yelled. "But beat up that BB stealing, tree murdering, thief." She was trying to get close to punch at Rage too, but wasn't having much luck.

"I'm trying." The green-clad emoticlone of courage panted, leaning in closer with her fist raised. For her efforts she got two feet planted in her gut. "Ugh." The girl gasped, as she was tossed several feet in the air only to land head first on the ground. Rolling to her feet in a daze, she bravely rushed back into the fray. This time when she got close a head, driven by insane desperation, lashed forward into her nose. "Ow." She yelped, rolling away with blood gushing down over her chin.

"I got the sniveling BB raping whore..." Rude let out a gleeful shout that was cut short. Having rushed Rage while she was distracted, she'd flipped the girl over to hold her face down, but another snap of the raging emoticlone's head had sent her reeling backwards with a broken nose that, like Brave's, gushed blood. "Mmphh." She gasped as her not quite subdued foe twisted around to lash up with her feet, slamming them brutally into her stomach. Falling back on the ground, her eyes rolled up, showing a bloodshot white.

"Take that you BB molesting tree killer." Happy dashed in to kick brutally at the fallen red-clad emoticlone.

"Mmmmm." Rage yelled, somehow managing to sound vicious and dangerous through her gag. She blocked the kick with her raised feet, which she then used to kick the pink-clad girl back. Happy fell, and a second later those two bound feet ruthlessly slammed into her stomach, sending her sliding several feet across the pink grass. "Ow." She gasped, eyes wide.

"How dare you do that to BB?" Sloth screamed from a safe distance. The hygienically challenged emoticlone slung handful after handful of pink grass and mud at the bound girl, who somehow always managed to take it in the back, rather than the aimed for eyes. A trickle of blood running down from a bruised lip showed that it'd taken the brown-clad girl a while to learned how to play it safe.

"Rage was the thief." Knowledge needlessly said, still radiating satisfaction. However, a bruised cheek, and the way she cradled her right hand, showed she too had her own wounds from the battle.

Raven blinked, watching the murderous emoticlones as they futilely tried to batter their fellow red-clad emoticlone into submission. _How did they managed to bind her if she'd putting up this sort of fight when tied up? _The empath idly wondered in shock, before she reluctantly turned to stare at the hole she stood beside. Nearly six feet long and three feet wide, it was the perfect size to bury someone in. She figured it was even around six feet deep.

* * *

Beast Boy moved swiftly, becoming a mix of cheetah and lion to rush at the woman with incredible speed and strength. Despite the power of the Cheetion, as he called the form, his charge was evaded at the last second, and pain struck in his ribs not once, but three times.

"Slow." Kishar said. Despite the brutal combat, not a hair was out of place, nor was she breathing hard.

He shifted into a combination of elephant and lion. Only the ears, along with the size and skin color, which was no longer always green, came from the elephant. The flexibility and claws came from the lion. The gigantic seven-ton cat-like creature raced forward, knowing it had failed to heal its wounds. Doing so in combat, the shape shifter had found out, was a lot hard than when he was sitting down with time to think.

"Heal them next time." The inhumanly nimble woman ordered. She raced past the creature, hitting with her bare hands in four swift moves. Each strike split the skin, and injected poison.

Next Beast Boy choose the beast, but used aspects of the cheetah to enhance his speed. Still the wounds remained, and the woman still mocked his attacks. This time, in the blink of an eye, she brutally struck him five times before he could react. '_She's not even shifting. She's staying human.' _The boy mused with a painful gasp, feeling the affects of the poison in his blood. It was a little something Kishar had thought up to make it harder for him to concentrate.

_'I'm not human. Remember.' _The woman replied in kind through telepathy. Twisting around her foe, she stuck with a slashing motion, opening the boy's flesh from his shoulder to the middle part of his back. When he collapsed, she stepped back.

With time to think, Beast Boy shifted twice. The second time his cuts were gone, but the poison remained.

"You're improving." Kishar said with some pride as she smiled down at him. "You've got rid of the poison twice. Sure it took a few thousand times shape shifting, but you did it. When you can repeat that on a regular basis, the next step will be learning how to remove fatigue. She closed her eyes for a second, removing the toxin from her pupil who stood.

"Sliced and diced." The boy replied. "That's me, the sliced and diced boy." He sat back down.

Kishar laughed. "You're faster now, and will get even faster, as well as stronger. You already know how to send some of your power into your hands to hit harder, but try now to send it to your skin. It'll drain your energy like crazy, but it can deflect minor blows."

Stand, Beast Boy tried it. "Woe." He said, staggering. "Drain isn't the right word. Maybe gushing."

"Concentrate it to where you think I'll strike." The woman commanded. "The more concentrated it is, the more damage it'll block." She moved forward to attack.

* * *

"Killer. BB defiler." Happy screamed cold-bloodedly, staggering up from the ground to join the bloodthirsty mob.

Raven cringed, unsure if the ever-cheerful girl was yelling killer, or kill her." _Holy Azar_. She thought, as her eyes were drawn irresistibly back to the hole that was obviously meant for one purpose, to bury something, or rather someone, in.

"Cloak thief. Pervert." Brave cried out, wiping blood from her face. She hurled herself at Rage with murder in her eyes aiming to kick the downed emoticlone. Her foot stuck a black shield, and she hopped back, clutching the badly bruised limb. "Ow." The green-clad girl screamed. "How did she make a barrier?"

_Other than Knowledge, they haven't even realized I'm here. _Raven noted. "Stop!" She yelled, getting their attention. "Just what the heck is going on?" She then demanded.

"Rage is the thief." Knowledge pushed her spectacles, which were bent out of shape, back up. "We know everything from why she committed the crimes to what she was trying to do. I solved the case." She beamed proudly at Raven, clearly expected praise of some sort.

"Mmmmm." The talked about girl muttered through her gag.

Wondering if she was going to regret it, Raven reached out to untie the cloak fragment that bound the emoticlone's mouth. "What were you thinking?" She demanded again.

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone." Rage muttered darkly, not looking up.

"And just what do you think you were doing?" Raven turned back to Knowledge, her eyes radiating fury.

" I... Umm... I did what you asked. I found the thief." She stammered, clearly not liking the look she saw in her leader's eyes.

"So? What's the meaning of the fight? What's the meaning of that?" The blue-clad girl, who still felt a bit queasy, pointed to the hole.

"Once I solved the case, I formed a group to apprehend her." The yellow-clad girl squeaked. "I thought it would be easy. Tie her up while she was asleep, just like she stole from us while we were asleep."

"I told you to find the thief." Raven screamed. "I specifically told you not to do anything about it until I was here."

"Oh. Umm." The frightened emoticlone looked down.

Taking a deep breath, working overtime to calm her emotions, Raven looked around.

Rage she noted was in pretty bad shape. Her legs and arms sported any number of large bruises, while blood trickled from her lower left eye. Her nose as well as her lips were bleeding, though not excessively. There was blood on her fingers, and on the back of her head, but that probably wasn't hers. _I'm guessing she managed to do some serious scratching. _Raven mused darkly. _And the blood on the back of her head is from where she slammed it back into Rude's nose._

She turned to look at Brave. The aspect of her courage was even worse off than the bound girl she'd been trying to beat up. _Or murder. _The blue-clad girl cringed. She could see fewer bruises on her arms and legs, but the emoticlone's face was caked with blood, and one eye was swollen shut. Obviously she'd been headbutted more than once. She also moved with one hand clasped around her stomach, clearly feeling the affects of being kicked. _Probably got kicked more than once as well. _Raven thought.

Continuing her inspection she noted that as well as a bruised lip Sloth was limping. "No wonder she was keeping her distance_._"The frowning blue-clad leader muttered under her breath.. Other than that though, the girl seemed okay.

Rude was in pretty bad shape. Her nose was still leaking blood, and one of her eyes, surrounded by a large bruise, looked like it couldn't focus. She had a few more dark marks on her arms as well as her legs, and like Brave she was holding one hand against her stomach. Large scratches covered one side of her face. _Guess that where the blood on Rage's fingernails came from. _Raven silently mused, frowning.

Happy, who obviously wasn't much of a fighter, was limping as well as clutching her stomach. _Seems Rage is really good with those feet of hers even when she's tied up and on her back. _The violet-eyed girl noted, feeling a sense of respect and admiration.

Turning, she saw that along with a bloodied hand and a bruised right cheek, Knowledge had a limp of her own. Clearly she wasn't much of a fighter either.

Affection and Timid, Raven noted with some relief, were unmarked. _Maybe I got two sane emoticlones after all. _The blue-clad girl thought hopefully. Having taken time during the inspection to calm herself, she turned back to Knowledge.

"Explain." She ordered.

"Well." The girl spoke in a quavering tone, not meeting her leader's stare. "I found something called restore points in my book. I got my bookmarks back." She glanced up to see if Raven would share in her joy. With a nervous gulp she looked back down, having seen only fury in those violet eyes.

"And."

"Well." The yellow clad-girl took a deep breath. "The last restore point was from when Rage had the book. I saw what she did searches for."

"Don't tell her." There was a hint of pleading in that demonic tone.

"Oh. Please do tell me." Growled Raven.

Knowledge turned red. "Well, she... Umm... Searched for how to make dolls." She took another deep breath. "Specifically sex dolls."

Raven blinked. "Uh?" She asked, knowing she'd misheard.

"Voodoo doll, voodoo dolls." Rage yelped, speaking in a growled rush. "I was making voodoo dolls so, you know, I could be like bad and mean and cause trouble. That's me, you know, the bad one who's always looking for a way to create mayhem. So punish me and we never ever have to mention this again."

"She looked up how to make a sex doll, specifically one of BB." Knowledge said a bit more firmly with some anger. "There wasn't much in the book on that, actually nothing. But you did read a book once on how to make dolls for voodoo, so that's what she did, it was just life-sized."

"Uh?" Feeling a bit weak Raven sat down. "Uh?" The shocked girl asked again. _Beast Boy? Sex doll? Am I hallucinating. _With an exaggerated slow motion she pinched her left cheek, and to her regret nothing changed.

Knowledge pointed to a green pile around twenty feet away, and Raven looked. There was Brave's cloak, stuffed with the pink leaves of Happy's poor Peppy. The branches had been used to add structure while a small part of Rage's own robe had been sacrificed to create the lips. Twigs had been used to outline the eyes and nose.

_Oh Azar. _The shocked girl stared in disbelief. _It wasn't just in Knowledge's imagination. Rage really was making... did make a sex doll. _She gulped, feeling a bit woozy.

"Voodoo. I swear it was for voodoo. And it's not of BB." The humiliated red-clad emoticlone gulped, trembling. "It's... Hrm... It's Mark." She said. "It's only green because that's the color of the cloak. I swear."

"Once things got out of hand she was going to bury the evidence." Knowledge continued. "But I don't think she could bring herself to part with the doll. I found the hole a few days ago and staked it out, but each time she went to throw it away she stopped.

_The hole wasn't for Rage. _Raven realized, feeling a sense of relief flood her. _They weren't going to kill her. _Too faint to remain sitting, she fell over backwards. _Oh thanks Azar, my emoticlones aren't murderers. _That tidbit of information made even the concept of a sex doll easier to deal with.

"I might be going down." Rage suddenly growled, sounding a lot like her old self. "But I'm not going down alone." She turned to Knowledge. "Why don't you tell her what you bookmarked in that little book of yours." She dared the yellow-clad girl who suddenly turned white.

"No... Don't..." Knowledge begged.

"Every second you've ever spent with BB, that's what." She snarled, speaking to Raven. "Oh, and there was one little section she watched more than a _eighty-seven_ _thousand _times, the one where you barged into his room to find he'd just come out of the shower." The raging emoticlone glared. "You know, the time you saw him naked."

"The yellow-clad, red-faced, girl stood with her eyes closed, unable to face anyone. Slowly, she raised her hood.

"And you." Rage turned towards Sloth. "You freaking look at the stains you get on your cloak and wonder if they look like BB. Heck, you even call them things like BB 1 and BB 2."

"Eeep." The brown-clad girl raised her hood.

"And you." The fuming emoticlone turned towards Rude. "You spend days mumbling, trying to think of sarcastic remarks that he'll think is funny. You're not trying to insult him, you're trying to make him laugh so he'll think you're funny."

"I ... No, I'm just trying to be rude. I swear." The orange-clad girl said, cringing back from the raging demon. "I swear."

"If you were trying to be rude to him, you wouldn't spend so much time trying to make him laugh." Rage retorted.

"I ..." The girl raised her hood, for once not having a rude comeback.

The red-clad demon turned on Brave. "When you play those mock adventurers of yours, it's always BB who's in trouble. Why don't you tell us what he gives you for rescuing him?"

The aspect of courage cringed, and for once didn't look too brave. "Don't." She whispered, shaking as she went pale.

"A kiss. You save him, and he gives you a kiss, or two, or a dozen. Heck sometimes the _reward_ takes longer than the adventure."

Not looking around, Brave raised her hood.

Rage turned on Happy. "I only just learned why you named your trees, you're pretending they're your and BB's children." She stated darkly.

The pink-clad girl clenched her fists, turning a bright red, but didn't raise her hood.

Panting, out of breath, the raging emoticlone was quiet for several seconds before she quietly spoke again. "I'm sorry I hurt one of your trees." She said in a low whisper. "I didn't know back then that you named them, or how it would affect you. I'm sorry." She looked at the ground, face turning redder from the embarrassment of apologizing than from the discovery of the sex doll.

"I see." Raven said, having managed to sit back up to stare around when Rage had started her rant. She frowned. "Actually, I don't see." She fell back on the ground. "Does this have something to do with why my emotions are going out of control?" She asked, still staring up into the air at those Azar forsaken pink clouds.

"That's not exactly me." Rage denied. "Well, sort of, but not exactly. It's not me alone."

"Oh?" _I hate pink. _The violet-haired girl mused, too shocked to focus on anything.

"You're denying an emotion again, but it's not mine alone." The red-clad girl explained. "It's Affection's, though we all share in it. When you deny it Affection is affected, and because we support her in it we in turn are affected. There's anger at being denied, and because there's anger I'm the one who's expressed."

"I don't guess this emotion I'm denying has anything to do with BB, errr ... I mean Beast Boy?"

"Well duh. Aren't you a regular Sherlock Holmes." Rage retorted.

End of Chapter.

* * *

Too my surprise, someone did guess the culprit who stole brave's cloak, Zyber Elthone. Congrats!

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	11. Chapter 11

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Bloodlines,... Worries,... Belonging,... The Date,...**_

"You're awake." Kishar said, pouting.

"I thought I would save you the trouble today." Beast Boy said, sitting down beside the woman.

"But what fun is that?" The girl demanded. "I don't get to threaten to ravish you." She looked like she was about to cry.

"Sorry." The shape shifter shrugged with an embarrassed smile.

"Oh well, there's always tomorrow." The woman said, still pouting.

Beast Boy held out his hand and focused; slowly, a knife formed. "Why are my powers so similar to yours?" He asked, placing the green-bladed weapon beside her.

Kishar stared at the knife with a sigh. "Ever wonder how your parents could've used genetic manipulation in the middle of nowhere to cure you?" She asked, now sounding dead serious. "Or how they would even have had the chance to do such a complicated and time-consuming procedure?"

"Hrm." The shape shifter frowned. "No, I just assumed from their work and from what I heard them say." He shrugged. "I was eight at the time so it's pretty vague."

"I asked them to tell you that." The woman shrugged. "It was simpler that way."

"You saved me?" Beast Boy smiled. "Thank you." He simply said, letting gratitude fill his voice.

"How could I've not?" Kishar shrugged. "As I said, as a kid you were so precious." Her eyes glazed over as she fondly recalled the past.

"But how did I come to have the ability to shape shift?" He prodded her, knowing if he let her she would be like that for hours.

Her eyes returned to the present. "Well, I can heal much like Raven does, but you were too far gone for that. Clinically, you were already dead."

"Dead?" The boy gulped, finding it hard to swallow.

"By the standards of your technology." The woman shrugged. "Sure, you were no longer breathing, but the genetic material in your body was still there, and the neurons in your brain had yet to decay. It was enough for me to work with."

"How long?"

"Seventeen hours. Much too long for normal methods to work."

"Oh. How?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to know any more.

"I changed your genetic structure a little. Basically I rewrote some of your genes with my own, and then I forced you to shape shift. As you already know, that can pretty much cure anything. This went a little beyond that though. It wasn't cell by cell, but more like DNA fragment by DNA fragment."

"Oh. Why not tell me though? Why the secrecy?"

Kishar shrugged. "Children often find it hard to keep secrets, and if you'd told people you were part demon they would've probably hunted you down and killed you. Our kind aren't usually well received."

"Part demon..." Beast Boy blinked, and it took a while for the words to register.

"I'm a demon, so when I rewrote you DNA with some of mine, you became part demon."

"Demon?" The boy shook his head, still trying to accept what the woman was saying.

"You've seen how similar my power is to Raven's. Why so surprised?"

"But she can't shape shift?"

"Abilities aren't the same with all demons. She, like her father, is more of the sort who can project power, while your power is more internal."

"Oh. Why don't I have to control my emotions?"

"You mean why aren't you a demonic beast like Trigon out to destroy the whole universe?" Kishar smiled. "For the same reason I'm not. You have a choice whether to be good or evil, all beings with consciousness do. Raven has to control hers for two reasons. The first being mainly because of her father's influence. But there's also the fact that she's the sort who can project power. With you, as with most humans, you can get angry and make the mistake of hurting someone's feelings with words. But as much as you rage and yell, it won't do much physically. However, with someone who can project power that anger can be expressed through both their power and their words. They can kill with the power of their emotions. Since your power is restricted to your body, you can't. You can become something that can kill, but that takes conscious thought and not just pure emotion."

"Oh." He was still speechless, or almost speechless anyway.

She gazed at the boy with fondness. "In a way you're ..." She stopped speaking, blushing a little.

"You think of me as a son." Beast Boy said, recalling the unconditional love he'd often seen in her eyes. He smiled fondly at the woman. "Though the way you keep talking about ravishing me is a bit creepy."

Kishar laughed nervously. "You're not offended?" She asked, worried what he might think of sharing blood with a demon.

Beast Boy shrugged. "My mother gave life to me, and I died. Then you gave life to me. Isn't it much the same? Even a part of your blood now runs in my veins." He leaned over to hug the woman. "Mother." He simply said.

Kishar, struck speechless, raised her arms to hug him back. "Son." She whispered with an ecstatic smile. Sniffing, she began to cry..

"So. Do I have any brothers or sisters? Mommy?" The boy asked, sitting back with a grin.

"Well. There's Azar." Kishar said with a grin of her own, wiping at the tears.

* * *

"Morning Raven." Robin greeted the girl as she walked into the commons room.

"Hey Raven." Cyborg spoke.

With an inaudible sigh of relief, the empath saw that her friends didn't cringe in terror from her. After the rather dramatic visit to Nevermore when she'd thought her inner selves were bloodthirsty murderers, she'd spoken about some of the feelings she'd hidden even from herself. She'd clearly stated to the speechless Titans, that she too missed Beast Boy. That she liked his lame jokes because it showed he cared enough about her to make her laugh, and that she liked his faked look of insult when she made some sarcastic comeback. That she missed being able to talk to him, and wanted him back where he belonged in the tower, that it didn't seem like home without him there. What she hadn't told them was that some psychotic part of her had made a sex doll in his image; there were some things a girl just didn't talk about. Still, the problems had subsided.

"Morning." She intoned, taking a muffin from the fridge and plugging in the kettle. She furtively sniffed the air which was free of the smell of rotten tofu, finding she actually missed it. "Since we don't know when he'll be back, shouldn't we keep something on hand just in case he returns?"

Robin and Cyborg looked at each other, both smirking as if there was some secret only they knew.

"No worries." The cybernetic teen said with honest feeling. "When the Grass Stain returns we'll be celebrating. It'll be pizza, and for that one time only, he'll have all the veggies he wants on it with no complaints from me."

"Or from me." Robin added.

"Oh." She hid a small smile. "Is there any way to track him?"

"Sorry." Cyborg replied. "I wish there was."

"From the sound of it, he knew where he was going." Robin spoke up. "And it was a place that he didn't want us to know about. I only know it was in Africa somewhere." He shrugged. "Sorry."

"I'm worried." Raven said, feeling something within her relax as she admitted the feeling. Still, the sense of worry didn't go away."

"Anything specific?" Boy Wonder asked, having learned to respect the half-demon's premonitions.

"Well." The violet-eyed girl frowned a little. "What if he find someone and never comes back?"

"Someone?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah. Like a girl." Raven said, still frowning.

* * *

_I belong here. _Beast Boy thought, as he became a cheetion that lashed out at a now very familiar steel post with its razor-sharp claws. Twisting around, moving as only a cat could, the shape shifter struck at the unmoving foe fourteen times in the space of a second. Before she'd left to recharge the wards within those massive boulders, Kishar had taught him a new trick, how to splice a single trait, or even a single gene, into any creature he became. The form he now held was no longer just a mix of cheetah and lion. He'd added the quickness of a hummingbird that effectively increasing the rate at which his thoughts flowed, while another gene had increased his bones to an unheard of density. Powerful as the cheetion form had been, it'd been slowed by the fear of bones breaking beneath its six-hundred pound mass. That was no longer the case.

_And I can now think fast enough to truly make use of its speed. _Beast Boy grinned savagely as he shifted, merging the form of a cheetah with that of an elephant. The seven-ton cat-like creature struck at the post with its massive power, causing it to tremble beneath the onslaught. But he'd failed to splice in the gene for the higher bone density, and was forced to try again. This time he got it right. Still, less than thirty seconds into the new transformation he began to overheat, forcing him to return to his human form.

_Is this home? _Beast Boy wondered, lying back on the hard ground to gaze idly up at the crystal-clear blue sky.. _It is. _He smiled, knowing the answer was true. If home was where the heart was, then this was home. But Raven also held his heart, so maybe where she was was home also. He pondered on that for a while, missing the sarcastic girl.

Holding up his hand, the shape shifter stared at it, flexing his fingers. Despite his many hours in the burning sun it was only slightly tanned. That was to be expected; what was a sunburn but damaged skin, and each time he changed form he now healed his wounds. Through the slight brown of the tan he could see just the tiniest hint of a greenish tint. It was the same with his hair which was now mostly blond with light streaks of green. It looked a little strange, but no one would think he was an alien over it, or try to put him in a zoo.

"Back at the tower they wouldn't even recognize me now." The boy spoke aloud with an amused smile. Playing with his new skills, he spliced in the gene for stronger bones, keeping his human form, and studied how it felt. Adding in the speed of a hummingbird he watched as time seemed to slow. That was his limit, thought Kishar had assured him that with experience it would increase. If he meditated to better access the source of his power, and pushed his limits, then one day he might be to add as many as eleven or twelve new traits.

_She also said she'd taught me the basics. _Beast Boy recalled_. That in time I would be able to learn more, but that I should first get used to what I now know, and practice until it's instinctive. _He sighed, lowering his hand to returning gazing at the sky. _I know I'm welcomed to stay. _The shape shifter mused, having long ago realized that Kishar was lonely, and would be ecstatic if he did just that. But each time he closed his eyes a certain violet-eyed girl was there, telling him that without her there would always be a hole in his heart.

* * *

Raven entered the cafe with reluctance. _It's the last date. _She told herself with a slight frown, wondering if she should just cancel and dump the guy over the phone. _Just one more to check whether he drugged my drink or not. If he did then I can't just let him go, and I also need to know why he's so interested in demonology. _The violet-eyed girl argued with herself, wishing she could just let Rage loose on the guy. With a sigh, she turned towards the booth where she saw an unmistakable bright-red shirt.

"Sorry." Mark said, not sounding sorry at all. "But the people I work with find the great one indispensable" He smiled at her with his blue eyes sparkling.

_Contacts_. Raven realized. _Or something like it. They're fake. _"I guess that's to be expected." She said, taking a seat without giving him her usual welcoming kiss. "Who're these people you work with?" Grabbing a menu, she realized they were in another cafe with a rather large selection of alcoholic drinks.

"People at the college." The boy shrugged. "One must pay the bills."

"One must." She agreed, deciding on a slice of lemon pie and a cup of tea. Sure it wasn't herbal, but it was better than nothing. With her eyes hidden by the menu, she used her empathy to study her date. It was an intrusion of privacy, but she no longer cared.

There was a sense of business, overlapped with lust, along with overwhelming curiosity and greed. Beneath it all there was a hint of darkness, of hate_. Strange_. Raven mused, putting the menu down as the waitress took her order. She'd sensed the other emotions before, especially the lust, but never the darkness. Ethics had always kept her from probing too deep. Azar had pounded those morals into her, and would probably be frowning now if she could see her pupil disregarding them.

Once again, against her wishes, the boy ordered her a drink. The violet-eyed girl slowly sipped from it, knowing if she didn't then there was no reason for him to try drugging her. To her surprise the night passed quickly.

_Too quickly. _The girl thought, looking at the time. _I've been here an hour at the most, so why is it so late? Two hours I could believe, but three? _She blinked her eyes, realizing that the headache, the so-called hangover, that'd plagued her before was returning. With Mark busy staring into space, looking to be deep in thought, Raven entered a meditative state, wanting to talk to Knowledge.

* * *

"What's going on?" She asked.

White faced, the yellow-clad girl held up her book and pointed without saying a word. When she looked Raven saw herself speaking, talking about demonology with her date. "But I didn't." She protested.

"You did." Knowledge said shakily. "I've looked, and he drugged the tea, not the drink. It put you in a trance for over two hours."

"Oh." The half-demon girl gulped, feeling an overwhelming fury rise within her. "What did I say?"

The emticlone frowned with a hint of fear in her eyes. "Various demonic rituals, including how to summon Trigon." She stated, trembling.

"Oh Azar." Raven shuddered, feeling a sense of terror that she hadn't felt for a long time. "If it's in the book, why didn't you spot it before?" Her voice sounded faint, and she thought she might throw up.

"The book only shows what you can recall. I saw it this time because when the time seemed wrong I checked." The frantic emoticlone gulped. "In an hour or so I'm sure those memories won't be in there. They'll fade since you can't remember them. None of us can remember them either, I asked." She shuddered in both fear and anger, looking like she was about to cry. "It doesn't feel nice knowing our memories were tampered with." Tears ran down her face.

"Now we know." Raven said, wanting to cry herself.

* * *

The half-demon girl returned to the real world full of wrath, ready to smite the person who had violated her mind so callously, only to find herself slumping helplessly forward.

"I have part of what I want." Mark said, looking at her with a smirk. "But the great one wants more." His eyes roamed over her, showing pure lust. "We're going somewhere quiet, and then I'll take the other part of what I want." His look left no mistake as to what he meant.

_More drugs. _Raven realized, struggling to move. "aazrethy mintnos..." She muttered desperately, and for once she strained to make use of the rage that filled her.

"If you can't speak, then you can't hurt me." The would be rapist smirked confidently. "Not that anything can harm the great one." Rising, he walked arrogantly around the table.

"athetrat min..." The frantic girl tried again as her boyfriend put his arm around her, pulling her casually to her feet. Walking out, she realized they looked like nothing more than an ordinary couple where the girl has had a few too many drinks.

* * *

"Out my way." Mark commanded angrily to the boy who stood in the doorway. "The idiot drank too much again." His acting was perfect, and would've worked. At least in most cases.

"Raven?" The boy asked, looking disoriented.

"b?" Raven managed to gasp, trying to blink her eyes to clear them. Vaguely, she saw a boy with blonde hair and knew it couldn't be him.

"Out of my way." Mark hurried to say again. This time he tried to push the kid blocking the door to one side. His hand hit empty air.

"Are you okay?" A worried voice asked. The boy moved closer, reaching out to touch her with panic written on his face.

"hhlp." The terrified girl managed to whisper before the drugs pulled her under. Bare even subvocalized, human ears could never have heard that weak, desperate, plea.

"Move aside." Mark commanded, just before the boy became a seven-ton creature that was a cross between an elephant and a cheetah. Moving too fast to see, let alone dodge, the massive paw that swung at him sent him flying more than a hundred feet.

* * *

End of Chapter.

For the record, this chapter just did not want to get written.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	12. Chapter 12

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

* * *

_**Waking Up,... Kishar's Past,... Returning to the Tower,...**_

Her head felt like it had an axe in it, while her throat was so sore she wanted to give up breathing, but the worse was her hand which was held in a vise that threatened to crush every aching bone in it. _Oh Azar. _Raven moaned, forcing her eyes open.

"Friends." A familiar voice shrieked. "Friend Raven is awake."

_Oh. _The now half-deaf girl realized. _That's no vise, that's Starfire's hand. _She tried to beg the girl to let go, but the faint whisper she managed to make went unheard.

"Raven?" Cyborg was beside her with a glass of water.

"What happened?" She whispered hoarsely after several sips of the cold liquid. To her relief, the orange-skinned alien let go of her hand, and she immediately pulled it to safety beneath the sheets that covered her.

"You don't know?" Robin asked, peering over Cyborg's shoulder.

"I was at a cafe with Mark and ..." Raven paused, wondering how much she should tell them. With a cringe, she realized she had to spill everything. "And he drugged me." She finished, needing a short break.

"What?" Cyborg and Robin spoke as one.

The cybernetic teen, who had a deadly glint in his eye, went to work setting his sonic cannon to maximum power. "The T-car is ready." He said,

"Where does he live?" Robin asked, reaching down to make sure the satchel with his various weapons was there.

"Drugged?" Starfire asked, sounding confused.

"It means we kill him Star." Cyborg replied, for once sounding more machine than man. "With the T-ship we can dump his body in the sun. No one will ever know."

"Oh." The girl, raised within a warrior culture, still looked confused, but didn't question her cybernetic friend.

"Don't know." Raven answered, shocked by the looks she saw on her friends' faces, yet comforted by their unhesitating willingness to protect her.

"He never told you?" Robin fumed, making it more of a statement. "Any idea where he works? What does he do for a living? We need a description, but I swear we'll find him."

"We always met at a cafe." The violet-eyed girl replied, taking more sips of water to ease the pain in her throat. "I doubt much of what he told me was true." She looked around, realizing she was in the Tower clinic. "How did I get here?"

"You sent out a 'Titan in distress' call." Cyborg said. "We found you by the entrance to a cafe. There was someone beside you when we got there, but he vanished."

"I didn't." The girl protested. "I tried, but whatever the drug was it kept me from moving. I didn't send the call."

"Oh." Cyborg was pushing buttons on his wrist. "Is this Mark?" He asked, holding up a small LED screen that showed a blonde-haired boy kneeling on the ground. The cybernetic teen's one human eye promised death to the person if it was.

"No?" Raven frowned, trying to recall what had happened. "Mark was carrying me to ..." She shuddered. "I don't know who that is, but he knew me, and stopped us at the door."

"Oh." The titantium-clad Titan closed the screen.

"We need a description." Robin said, clenching his fists. "Whoever it was, we'll hunt him down and ..."

Raven tuned him out for a second, taking stock of the various aches and pains. To her relief there was one part of her body that was free of any discomfort. _Thank Azar. _She though. Whatever else the monster had done, he hadn't managed to violate her.

* * *

"Let me go!" The enraged shape shifter screamed. Taking to the sky as a falcon he got a hundred feet before he was yanked back to the ground by Kishar. "Let me go!" He repeated, blind with rage. Several hours before the woman had returned from her trip to recharge those stone, and told him it was time for him to test his skills on a villain again. Without further explanation, she'd teleported them to the entrance of that cafe. After smashing aside the person who'd smelled a lot like Adonis, he'd only had enough time to use Raven's communicator to send a distress call before being teleported back to Africa.

"What would get you to stay?" Kishar asked, for once looking weary. "There are a thousand girls within the borders of my domain. Choose any of them, and they'll be yours." She sighed. "Or all of them if you wish."

"I need to make sure Raven is okay." Beast Boy growled, turning to face the woman.

"Within my domain I could make you immortal, you would never ..." The woman paused to peered at her son and sighed again. "But of course I would not be so proud of you if you could be so easily bought." Turning, she stared out across the land. "I assure you, she's fine."

"Let me go."

"I won't keep you here against your will." She smiled at him with sadness. "But have you ever wondered why I maintain those wards against Trigon?"

"To keep your privacy." He told her, wondering what that had to do with Raven.

"To do that I could just wear a stone on a bracelet." Kishar shrugged, and turned to point out over the land. "Demons are immortal. The only way to kill us, is if we choose to die. To create those wards five of us choose to sacrifice themselves to give them power. They've been in place now for over two-hundred and fifty million of your years. During that time, thirteen times a year, I've recharge them without fail."

"Two ..." The shape shifter paused in disbelief. "That's a long time." He admitted. "That was during the Permian-Triassic extinction event wasn't it?"

"Bingo." The woman praised him. "So much for those who call you stupid. I believe your scientists call it the worst mass extinction in your world's history."

"They do? But how does that relate to those stones, and to Raven?"

"This is where we finally managed to corner Trigon, and here is where we finally sealed him away. The war we fought is what destroyed most of the life on this world."

"Oh."

"Here we created another dimension beside this one. Those stone mark its boundaries, and the energy within them form its walls. Should I fail in my task then Trigon will be set free. So long as I maintain those wards, then he cannot free himself by his own power."

"Then how could he have used Raven as a portal?"

Kishar shrugged. "I said he could not free himself by his own power. But if he could use that of another then he could breach the walls of his prison. If others were to worship him, and perform the proper rituals, then with enough power they can create a passage from that domain to this world. He created Raven to be that power source."

"Oh?" He looked at the woman who seemed so ageless. "You've really been here that long?"

"I have." She sighed wearily, closing her eyes. "And in my loneliness I made a mistake. I wanted, no I needed, companionship. So I created humans. I desired someone to talk to, someone to smile with and someone with whom I could watch the sun rise each day. But by creating you I unwittingly gave Trigon a chance to escape his prison. As I've told you, with consciousness there is choice; good or evil. He makes use of the greed within people, and offers them power for their worship."

Kishar smiled at the boy with sorrow. "I ward this place against him, maintaining his prison. But to keep him bound I must match his power, so as a demon I'm nearly powerless. All my energy goes into those stones, leaving little for other tasks. I can't see everything, and he make use of that. Now, because of my blindness, another knows how to call on Trigon, and how to set him free should they be insane enough to wish to be turned to stone."

"Who would wish that?"

The woman shrugged. "He would simply offer them immortality, and neglect to them that it would be as a statue."

"Oh." The shape shifter studied the woman who he called mother. "Within these wards all his power is negated. That's why you want me to stay. I would be safe here."

"That's part of it. You would be safe here, and avoid the guilt that will come upon you should you leave."

"Guilt?"

With a sigh, Kishar closed her eyes. "As I've warded against him, he's warded against me. In what is to come I'm powerless." She closed her hand, and opened it, revealing seven small stones engraved with symbols. "Take these." She said, tossing them to him. "And take care my precious Garfield. Please don't let the guilt destroy you. And know this, here is your home where you belong, and here you will always be welcomed."

* * *

Raven watched the two boys pace the floor, furiously muttering to themselves. Starfire was standing still with her eyes glowing, ready to fight.

"Any ideas on what Mark can do with what he got from you?" Robin asked, turning to face Raven who was silently brooding.

Raven flinched. _With what he got from you._ Those words condemned her. Thought she knew their leader wasn't blaming her, if the world was to perish, it would be her fault. "Enough." She intoned. "He can create demonic minions, and enslave people if their hearts are evil. But that's enough. Now that he knows how to do that he'll learn anything Trigon wants him too, including how to free him."

"Damn." Boy Wonder swore.

The half-demon girl cringed. Their leader never swore, and that he did so now was ... _It's all my fault. _She told herself, shuddering.

"Suggestions." Robin turned towards her, practically begging for some sight of hope that would let him fix things.

"You three could take a ship and get away from here." She shrugged. "It'll take him a while to conquer the whole dimension, and you might live a nice long life."

"Bleh!" The boy turned to frenetically pacing again. "I mean how do we stop him?"

"I don't know..." A siren brutally silenced her, causing them all to pause.

"We have an intruder." Cyborg said, flipping open the panel on his arm again. "Someone the security system doesn't recognize just tried to enter."

* * *

"Hey guys." Beast Boy said, seeing his friends rush in.

"Who're you?" Cyborg asked, lifting his sonic cannon.

"What do you know about Mark?" Robin demanded, pulling out a freeze disc.

"Did you hurt friend Raven?" Starfire roared with her hands glowing.

_Beast Boy. _Raven thought, unable to speak as joy flooded her, pushing aside her worries.

"Gee. What a reception." The shape shifter replied, looking startled. "Let's see if you'll recognize me now." His form shifted back to the normally green boy with pointed ears, and a single fang showing.

"Beast Boy?" Cyborg said, with his cannon still raised.

"It's him." A certain violet-eyed girl stepped forward, unable to resist pulling him into a hug. "Welcome home." She said, trying not to cry.

"Hey Raven. I missed you too." His arms closed around her briefly. 'Are you okay?" He stepped back to look at her.

"I am." She stepped back to study him in turn. "So that was you last night?"

"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't stay. Sort of got ..." He shrugged. "Call it kidnapping if you want though it's a bit more complicated than that."

"What happened to Mark?" Raven asked.

"Mark? The only person I saw with you last night was Adonis." He chewed at his lip worriedly. "Did he do something to Mark?"

Raven paled. "The guy with black hair, blue eyes? You saw him. You mean to say that was Adonis? How?"

"Neural interfaced suit. While it looked nothing like him, it certainly smelled like him."

"Oh." Raven said, turning pale. "A second." She gulped, rushing from the room. "I need to throw up."

"Where is he?" Robin demanded, still in interrogation mode. "Do you know what his did to Raven?"

"No? I saw she didn't look too good, so I hit the 'Titan in distress' button, and then ..." He shrugged. "I made sure he wouldn't bother her again, but got pulled away."

"You left her there like that?" Cyborg roared, showing the sonic cannon at his friend's face. "How could you?"

"What happened to her?" He ignored the weapon pointed at his nose.

Robin and Cyborg looked at each other.

"He drugged her so we're going to kill him." Starfire said. Rushing in she grabbed the shape shifter in a bone-crushing hug. "It is good to have you back home, friend Beast Boy."

"Drugged?" The boy gulped, even as he spliced in the gene for higher bone density. The pain of Starfire's hug faded. "Drugged?" He repeated again, growling.

"Where's Mark, or Adonis, or whoever?" Robin demanded again, not caring what his name was. His tone still suggested murder.

"I hit him. At the time I thought it was probably harder than I should've, but guess I didn't hit him hard enough. All I know is it was in the direction of the parking lot, maybe a hundred feet. I was too busy then checking to see how Raven was. The person I was with only gave me a few seconds before she pulled me back to Africa." The boy's faced twisted in a look of pure rage as he flexed his fingers, hardening the claws and honing them with power.

* * *

_I kissed Adonis. _Raven thought, shuddering as she puked her guts out. _More than kissed, I made out with him._ She threw up again. For a second she entered a meditative trance. '_Rage. Think of ways to torture this guy_.' She ordered.

* * *

End of Chapter.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	13. Chapter 13

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Yeah, the stones are like the Ring of Azar. For some reason in my mind it was a stone and not a ring._

* * *

_**The Calm Before the Storm,...**_

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." With tightly clenched fists, the blue-clad girl recited her mantra again and again. _I was created to end the world. _She thought, wishing to die. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She spoke her mantra again with despair. _If only I couldn't feel, then I wouldn't have wanted a boyfriend. _Relentlessly she condemned herself, knowing she was to be the end of all things mortal. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She sought the peace the mantra usually brought, only to be denied. _To be the source of so much evil, I must be worse than any criminal we've ever captured. _With hate-filled thoughts, the guilt tore at her, and she wondered if maybe death might be the way. _It would be an end to my pain, and an end to Trigon's hopes._

Knock! knock! Raven looked up, already knowing who it was. "I'm not in the mood to talk Beast Boy." She intoned. _What right do I have to friends?_

The blonde-haired boy looked at the door with a sigh. It seemed, despite his ears no longer being pointed and green, his hearing was now even more sensitive than when he'd left. For the last half hour he'd listened to the girl recite her mantra in a voice devoid of hope, and had wondered what to do. Looking at the lock he reached out to press his hand against it. While he would never be able to project power, and given the price it carried he never wanted to, he could still do a few tricks. With a click, the door slid open.

"I'm sure I locked it." Raven intoned, looking at the door.

Beast Boy shrugged. "It must've not slid all the way through." He said, knowing he was fooling no one. His eyes turned towards the girl, noting her tear-streaked face with a twinge of pain. _I wish I was better with words, that I knew how to comfort her. _Hesitantly, wondering if she would just throw him through a wall, he sat in front of her, mirroring her lotus position.

The girl took in the way her friend now looked, finding it strange. About the only thing that remained the same was the green eyes, and she found herself missing his old look.

Not knowing why, the shape shifter let his form shift, returning to way he'd looked before he'd left. "During all the chaos going on when I got back, I forgot to give you these." He handed her six of the seven stones Kishar had given him. Holding up his hand he showed her that he wore one on a loop around his wrist.

"These are..." She studied them, before looking up. "Those are the same stones that the Ring of Azar had. Where did you get them?"

"From a friend. There's one for each of us, and one to spare. It was suggested that you put one beside the Forbidden Door in Nevermore." He smiled at her. "It should keep Trigon from reaching Rage again."

"Oh. But where? I thought Azar was the only one who could make these?"

"She was taught by someone I know." He shrugged with a sigh. "I know how to make them as well now, but I'm afraid I can't. I don't have the gift for it."

"Oh?"

"But you do. If you wish I can teach you. They won't be as effective as the those, or the ones Azar made, but they should help some."

"But ..." A hint of hope slipped through her voice as she looked at the stone. "How?"

"The way you are now, it would be useless to try." Beast Boy looked around the room with a sigh. "You know, you're not the first?" He said nonchalantly, noting that other than a few new books in her bookcase, everything was the same as when he'd left.

"What do you mean?" Raven wrinkled her brow, looking puzzled.

"Not the first gem, or portal, or whatever you want to call it." When the statement was met with shocked silence, he smiled at her. "Trigon has been in that prison for a very long time. So long as there's been humans on Earth, he's been trying that particular trick. You may be the first one thousandth, but you're not the first."

"How do you know?" _I'm not unique? I'm not the only one? _It felt weird to know that. _I wonder what happened to those others._

"The person who gave me those stones told me."

"What happened to them?"

"Most were killed when those around them learned they were the so-called spawn of evil."

"Oh." She gulped, looking down. "So if I die then ..."

"But others lived, and the world didn't end." Beast Boy interrupted her. "They had children who had power as well, though after a few generations that fades."

"So if I have children then Trigon can't use them?"

"They won't have the Forbidden Door, that's something he created, so they'll be useless as a means to create a portal. If they allow it, they can be corrupted to be one of his tools as Slade was, but that holds true for everyone." The boy shrugged before smirking at her. "Actually many of those portals, and a lot their children, became a part of mythology, and were thought of as the good gods who aided humanity. Given they had a bird's-eye view of evil, it seems they rejected it wholeheartedly."

"Oh." The violet-eyed girl briefly touched her belly_. I had sworn I would never have children, but now ... _She smiled.

"Kishar. Mlinzi. Matumaini." Beast Boy said with his eyes closed.

"What're you doing." Raven blinked, and would've sworn the boy was meditating, but that was harder to believe than Trigon becoming a paragon of virtue.

"Ironic isn't it?" He shrugged helplessly with an amused smile. "All those time I poked fun at you, I've should've been meditating too. It seems it allows me to touch the power that lets me shape shift."

"Oh." Raven blinked again, still not believing a Beast Boy who meditated.

"Kishar. Mlinzi. Matumaini." The shape shifter calmly repeated with his lips still turned up in a tiny smile.

"What do the words mean?" She was curious, and still disbelieving.

"Kishar is in honor of my mother." He opened his eyes to look at her. "Also the source of my power. Mlinzi means protector, which is what I wish to become. It can also means guardsman, or guardswoman, which is what my mother is. Matumaini means Hope, which is what you are to the emoticlones. Blue is the color of hope, so as yellow is Knowledge, and pink is Happiness, your name in Nevermore would be Hope.

"How did you know that?" The shocked girl asked. _He used my name as a part of his mantra. _Blinking, she realized that for a whole different reason her tears had started to flow again.

Beast Boy shrugged. "Isn't it obvious?" He closed his eyes again. "Kishar. Mlinzi. Matumaini."

Closing her own eyes, Raven began to recite her own mantra. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

Soon the only sound in the room was that of the spoken words. "Kishar. Azarath. Mlinzi. Metrion. Matumaini. Zinthos." When the boy spoke a word of his mantra, the girl would follow it with a word of her own. An hour passed, and then another, before the weary girl slumped forward, sound asleep.

"Sweet dreams Raven." Beast Boy quietly whispered, tucking a pillow under her head, and covering her with a blanket. He very briefly thought about placing her on her bed, but only very briefly. For one, she looked comfortable where she was, curled up on a mat that she often used for meditating. For another, she would probably wake up and throw him through a window, or worse, through the foot-thick, solid-steel wall. She hated to be touched at the best of times, and given what she'd been through ... Leaving, he dimmed the lights.

* * *

Violet-eyes flickered and opened, peering with an annoyed expression at the sunlight that flooded the window. Noting the pillow and blanket Raven smiled, stretching. _It's good to have him back. Last night I don't know what I would've done without him. I was actually thinking of ... _She pushed all thoughts of despair aside, knowing suicide wasn't the answer. Should she ever be in a position where Trigon had control, and was about to open the portal, then she would rethink it, but for now she was glad to be alive.

In her hand she still clutched the six stones he'd given her. Rising them to her eye, she studied them curiously. _Just where did he get them? Someone who taught Azar? But that person must be centuries old. _Gently she rolled them in her hand, feeling their almost insignificant weight. _So little given what they can do. _She mused with a small grin. _It must provoke my father to no end that something such as this can ward against his power. _With hope in her eyes, she rose to reach for the mirror that was her portal to Nevermore.

* * *

"Ya. BB is back." A jubilant voice yelled just before something pink crashed into her. "Our Beastie is back." The pink-clad girl shrieked in her ear again, before dancing away.

"I know." Raven muttered, getting to her feet. Looking up, her jaw dropped in shock. "Just what is going on?" She asked, wondering if her emoticlones had really gone around the bend this time. Before her, with the exception of Happy, they were all armed with small sticks that they were jabbing into their hands. The pointed ends, liberally coated in blood, was being used to write on the Labyrinth walls. Even Timid was there, flinching horribly each time the stick she wielded pierced her flesh, but still determinedly working with the others. As she watched Happy picked up a stick and went to work as well.

"The memories in the book faded." Knowledge said, looking down at her ravaged hand with her face a bit pale.

"The ones where I was in a drugged trance?"

"Yes." The yellow-clad girl somberly replied, carefully holding her hand far away from her robe. "And we're afraid we'll forget what we saw in the book, even though we shouldn't. It's too important to risk, so we're writing down what we told him."

"Oh." Looking closer she could now see what they were writing. It was a list of the spells she'd told Mark, or rather Adonis, along with information on demonology. "Good thinking." She told them, flashing a smile towards the trembling Timid who looked like she was close to fainting. The girl briefly flashed a weak smile of her own back before trying to get more 'ink' for her makeshift pen. It took her eight tries.

Holding up a stone, she looked at Rage. "This should make you happy." She smiled. "No more going all four-eyed on me." She paused to stare at the four-eyed girl. "Oh wait."

"Haha. Very funny." The red-clad emoticlone glowered back. "But when you learn how to make them, I want one to wear as well." Having been possessed, and ruthlessly used by Trigon, she had no love for him.

"I will." Raven told her. "I have no idea who could've taught Beast Boy how to make those wards, but I'm going to be making as many as I can."

Turning to go to the Forbidden Door, she cringed. There, propped upright in a field of pink grass, was the doll Rage had made of BB. "Can't we get rid of that?" She asked hopefully?

"No." Rage growled, no longer sounding so pleasant.

"You can't hurt my Beastie." Happy cried in shock.

"It does make a nice ..." Knowledge started to say.

"Oh never mind." Raven growled. Despite all the trouble it'd caused, not one of her emoticlones had wanted the horrible effigy destroyed. In the end, even with her screaming in fury at them, they'd as one resisted her and voted to place it in Happy's domain. That particular clearing had become a common gathering spot now, with even Rage sometime sitting in the distance to stare forlornly at her so-called sex doll. _At least it's not pink. _She told herself with a sigh as she left for the Forbidden Door.

* * *

"Wanna spar?" Robin asked the shape shifter.

"Sure." Beast Boy knew it wasn't an idle request. While the Titans weren't a dictatorship, Robin was their de facto leader. Someone had to organize things and make sure everyone was up to par. Given his background, that person was Boy Wonder. In this case, the leader wanted to make sure he hadn't let his skills become rusty. Sure it'd been just a few months, but the boy was obsessive. At times that was a pain, at others it just make him good at what he did.

"Why the green look again?" Robin asked as they walked together towards the practice field outside.

"It just feel more natural. I mean, without the green I look okay, but then I don't have the pointed ears. All the girls dig them."

"I see." The boy smiled. "Find what you were looking for?"

"Half of it." Beast Boy shrugged. "I know where I came from, and I know I'm welcomed there. But now I need to decide where I'm going."

"Ah. I see. Want this to be weapons or no weapons?"

"Let's go with weapons. Not a fair test without them."

Boy Wonder put on a satchel clearly labelled with 'PRACTICE' in large black letters, and grabbed a bo staff. Beast Boy in turn thought about the coming fight, and spliced two genes into his DNA: one from the hummingbird that slowed time, and one for extra muscle density.

"Ready?" Robin asked, looking at the shape shifter who hadn't moved to take a weapon.

"Ready."

Robin brutally attacked with the blinding speed that made him a master martial artist. However, to the enhanced shape shifter the boy seemed to move with an eerie slowness that seemed unnatural. Reaching out, he grabbed the end of the bo staff and violently pulled. When his opponent came flying within range, he lashed out with his right foot, sending the leader hurling backwards.

Boy Wonder, despite being winded and a little dazed, rolled immediately to his feet. Reaching into his satchel he grabbed three discs that he sent flashing towards his foe.

Using the bo staff, Beast Boy blocked two of the discs, and with unreal finesse used its tip to send two of them flying back at his foe. The third he sidestepped.

Robin sidestepped one of the discs, and dove under the other. Before he could roll to his feet he felt the bo staff pressed against his neck. The match was over. He sat up with a small laugh. "And to think I set aside a full half-hour for this. It was probably more like three seconds."

They repeated it nine more times. Different tactics, and different strategies, but always with the same result.

"We're glad you're back." Robin stayed on the ground, deciding he'd had enough humiliation for one day. "The envelope you left with me is still in the safe. However Raven did break into it once. I think she missed you more than any of us." He shivered,and rubbed at his arms as if suddenly cold "In fact I know she did."

* * *

"Morning." Raven intoned, walking into the common's room. Her nose twitched as she detected the familiar scent of tofu dogs, and allowed herself to smile a little.

"Morning." Beast Boy greeted her, watching as the violet-eyed girl plugged in the kettle and took a muffin from the fridge.

"Morning." Robin and Cyborg chorused, while Starfire used her usual greeting.

"Thanks for last night." She spoke to Beast Boy before turning to the rest. "Thanks."

"You're looking better this morning." Cyborg said, eyeing the girl.

"I feel a lot better." She replied in a monotone. "And I realized something."

"Oh?" Cyborg asked.

"We don't have to beat Trigon. The only one we really need to find is Adonis, and then make sure he never uses what he knows. We don't have to fight a god, just one of his minions. And despite what he learned, he's no Slade. He's not trained in the mystical arts."

"So you're saying we got a chance?" Robin asked, looking more than a little relieved.

"We do. A good one." The girl took a bit of her muffin with her nose still twitching. He eyes briefly flickered towards Beast Boy before she turned back to the others. "Here." She handed each of them one of the stones. "At least Trigon won't be able to spy on us, and they'll help just in case we do have to fight him directly."

"Did you place one in Nevermore?" Beast Boy asked.

"I did." She told him, her nose still twitching. "As soon as I woke up this morning. Trust me, Rage was ecstatic. She's your friend for life now." Her lips turned up in a tiny smirk. _Not that she didn't want to be more than 'just' friends before. But there's no need to tell him that._

"Cool." The green-skinned Titan turned back to his tofu dog, happily savoring it. While it wasn't as good as what he'd had in Africa, it was still the next best thing. When he looked down his plate was empty. "Hey." He exclaimed. "Who stole my last tofu dog?"

"Dude. Don't look as us." Cyborg said with a shudder. "It's not real food so it probably just evaporated or something."

The shape shifter glowered at his friend, and rose with his nose twitching. "I bet you were finally tempted into trying one." He told the cybernetic teen.

The accused boy broke out in a sweat. "Dude! Don't even suggest things like that. It's not natural." He gulped, turning green.

Beast Boy turned with his nose still twitching. "It can't be." He finally said, slowly walking over to Raven and inhaling deeply. He looked at her with accusing eyes.

"I... Umm..." _Dang that nose of his. _Raven thought blushing. Her eyes turned towards his empty plate, where he had a cup of ... "Hey." She exclaimed. "That's my herbal tea." Now she turned on the boy with an accusing look of her own.

"Ah... Well... " The red-faced thief gulped. "See, I sort of got used to it in Africa. We had it every evening."

* * *

End of Chapter.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	14. Chapter 14

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Time: Three days later._

* * *

_**Too Much of a Good Thing,... The First Minion Appears,... Talking,...**_

"Is that it?" Robin asked, looking at the two small metallic cubes Raven had just dropped in his hand. When she snarled, he stepped back with a gulp.

"You know what I learned while making those?" The unhappy girl asked, glaring at him. There was the sound of teeth gritting.

"Umm? What?" The nervous boy gulped again.

"I learned there's such a thing as too much of a good thing." Raven rubbed the side of her forehead and clearly, with no attempt at all to hide it, gave a deep sigh.

"Oh?"

"Nine hours of meditation to make a single ward. At two a day that's eighteen hours of sitting in that Azar awful lotus position doing nothing?" She screamed the last word, and for a second the room seemed quite a bit darker.

"Oh?" Boy Wonder looked at the cube. "So that's it? When you asked Cyborg to manufacture a thousand cubes with the runes engraved on them I'd hoped..."

"Yeah. Well guess what. It doesn't matter what they're made of, or how the runes are drawn, what matters is me ripping out a piece of my soul and putting it in them. To make a single ward, and empower it, that's what I've got to do. I got to extend my soulself into each cube and trace those markings a freaking TWO THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED, AND NINETY-SEVEN TIMES." She slumped back in her chair, clearly exhausted. "

"Why so many?"

"It's thirteen to the power of three." The violet-eyed girl muttered, rubbing at her eyes. "By Azar I've had enough meditation to last a lifetime."

"Can't Beast Boy help make them?" Cyborg asked. "He's the one who taught you."

"I wish. But you won't catch him meditating for nine hours nonstop." The words were filled with envy.

Boy Wonder looked at the small titanium cubes with a frown. "It's still more than what we had last time. Nevermore is warded with a stone in front of the Forbidden Door, and Rage is carrying one of these. We don't have to worry on that front. And we each got one. With the other five you've made we can now tell Titan's East the news and call them in. That's excellent." He smiled in an attempt to cheer up the girl.

"No word on Adonis?" Raven asked with her eyes closed, resisting the urge to puke.

"Sorry. For once he's not doing something stupid to draw attention."

"Figures." She sighed, struggling for impassivity.

"Worry not, friend Raven." Starfire said cheerfully, daring to give the disgruntled girl a hug. "We will find the drugger."

"It's not like him." Beast Boy said, frowning. "He usually wants to make a big impression. In fact that's just about the only thing he ever wants to do. Get noticed and get girls."

"It seems like he's being careful this time around." Robin shrugged. "Cyborg even has a satellite system scanning Jump City around the clock. If he show's himself, we'll see him." As he spoke the alarm sounded.

"It's not him." Cyborg said a second later, studying the LED on his wrist. "It's Cinderblock." He groaned the latter with a sound that was echoed throughout the room.

"Now's not a good time." Boy Wonder fumed. "It takes forever to take him down, and it wears us out for the whole day." He glanced at the cubes in his hand and frowned, clearly realizing there would be no new wards until the next day.

"I shall do my best so friend Raven does not have to wear herself out." Starfire smiled happily, hoping to cheer them up.

"And I can help this time." Beast Boy grinned. Other than Adonis it was the first villain to show himself since he'd returned, and while it was a bad time he was eager to see what he could do.

* * *

"That's new." Cyborg said, pulling the T-car to a squealing stop half a block from the mountain of granite.

"Raven?" Boy Wonder said, asking for her opinion.

"Strange." The girl intoned, looking at the villain who'd undergone a few changes. There were marking on his chest and back, while his eyes glowed a scarlet red that matched the scarlet 'S' engraved on his forehead. "The runes on his back are a lot like the ones on the wards against Trigon, but they're clearly different."

"A ward against a certain someone interfering." Beast Boy intoned, watching the massive foe as it strolled forward. "But it's not anything we got to worry about."

"And the runes on the front?" The leader asked, sending a curious look towards the shape shifter.

"Part of a demonic ritual that corrupts a person." Raven answered. "Cinderblock is now a tool for whoever did that ceremony."

"Who?"

"Welcome pests. How do you like the new minion of the Great Adonis?" A voice roared out from the giant figure.

"It's one of the rituals Adonis learned from me." Raven needlessly intoned. "It seems he's made use of it."

"The Great One has decided he deserves vassals to bow down and worship his greatness. I no longer need to dirty myself with scum like yourselves." The voice that came from Cinderblock carried a fully city block to where the Titan stood staring.

"Meaning he got tired of getting his behind handed to him." Cyborg said, looking down to fiddle with his sonic cannon.

"Doesn't he know we can beat Cinderblock?" Their leader asked with a frown, sensing something wrong.

"After I kill you, the city will have three hours to bow down to the Great One." Adonis crowed. "Otherwise my lackey will rampaging through the Main Street Elementary School."

"What?" Both Robin and Cyborg yelped, while Beast Boy just froze.

"I know enemy Adonis is a drugger." Starfire said with a perplexed look. "But he has never threatened to kill anyone before."

"He must've done a few rituals." Raven intoned with the slightest hint of a frown, while her eyes showed concern and worry. "Each ceremony will corrupt him until human life has no meaning to him at all."

"I'll provide the distraction, while Starfire and Cyborg pound on him." Beast Boy looked towards Robin. "At least that's my suggestion."

The leader looked worried. "Are you sure? If he hits you..." His face turned white. "I know you've improved a lot, but those fists of his weigh a ton."

"I'm sure." The boy shrugged. "I know my limits. After all, I've spent the last two months having my own behind handed to me. I'll take the low ground and strike from there. That'll leave Starfire free to hit him from above." He looked at the girl. "Don't worry too much about hitting me."

Boy Wonder still looked worried, but he glanced up the street and shuddered. They could all see the school just a short distance away, as well as the hundred or more curious kids who stood staring from the playground. "Okay." He turned to Raven. "Make sure nothing gets tossed towards the school."

"Understood." She rose in the air.

Beast Boy paused, wondering what form to use. If he used something too massive then those titanium spikes that coated his foe would tear at him, but with the granite villain heading straight for the school speed was of the essence. He chose the Cheetion, splicing in the gene for stronger bones and the gene hummingbirds used to slow time. Ready, the six-hundred pound cat leapt forward.

Hitting a hundred miles per hour, the shape shifter closed the distance and took his first swipe at the massive villain. Using power in the attack, his claws ripped three inches into the rocky surface. Above him, Cinderblock paused in his march towards the school to swat at him. Racing around his foe, who turned to follow, the boy struck time and time again. However, as deep and as long as the grooves he made were, they were insignificant given the size of the small mountain he faced. Above him, sometimes hitting just a few feet above his head, Starfire was lashing out with everything she had.

"Ready." Cyborg yelled, and the two scattered. The sonic cannon blasted forth a wave of sound that caused Cinderblock to stumble.

_We can do this. _Beast Boy thought, racing back into the fight, while above him Starfire resumed her attack.

"Stupid Minion." The voice roared arrogantly from Cinderblock's mouth. "Take out that car. Does the Great One have to tell you everything."

Grabbing a rusty pickup, the villain obeyed. Flung with all its might, the two-ton projectile slashed through the air, smashing the T-car back more than eighty feet before it brought up solid against a concrete wall. Too late, a large black hand formed of dark magic appeared to block the attack.

_"What?" _The shape shifter gasped. _He's strong, but not that strong. _

Cinderblock grabbed a second vehicle, a brown van, and flung it. Ready this time, Raven sent forth her power to block it. To her shock, she barely managed to deflect the makeshift weapon by a few feet. It struck the front end of the T-car, crumpling it.

"My poor baby." Cyborg yelled, staring in horror. He'd been standing beside the car, hooked to it through wires to power his sonic cannon, when it'd been badly mangled during the first attack. While his sonic cannon sent sparks flying into the air, he stood with tears in his one human eye as he watched his baby being wrecked. That he'd barely missed joining it by mere inches didn't even register.

The enraged Titan turned on the villain. "You're going to pay." He screamed, raising his sonic cannon only to have it explode in his face.

_Why is he so strong? _Beast Boy wondered, still slashing at his granite foe. _If he throws something at the school ... _He gulped, and urged himself to move faster.

"Careful." Raven cried out, forcing impassivity into her tone. "If he throws something at you I can't block it."

"Understood." Starfire hollered back, not taking her eyes from the lumbering giant.

"Why's he so strong?" Robin yelled, with his eyes also focused on their practically unharmed foe.

_That's what I would like to know. _Beast Boy thought, whirling around the villain. Without the beefed-up sonic cannon it would take twice as long to bring Cinderblock to a stand still, assuming no one else got hurt. _Still, he turns to where I attack him, and follows. We're leading him away from the school. That's good._ Twisting around, the boy lashed forth with his two front paws in a double attack, leaving four sets of deep grooves in his foe.

"Today is the day the Great One, the Great Adonis, triumphs over the Titans." A voice cackled from the mouth of the villain. "Swat that orange pest." It then callously commanded.

Pausing in its futile attacks on the shape shifter, Cinderblock grabbed another car. Whipped into the air with massive force, it struck Starfire. Dazed, the girl who was born of a warrior race, still managed to keep her wits about her, and tracked where the vehicle would land. To her horror she saw a group of students had followed them from the elementary school, wanting to see the fight. With blood running from her mouth, and one arm twisted in an unnatural angle, she used her one good hand to desperately try to avert catastrophe. Black magic coated the car to aid her efforts, and the makeshift weapon slid a fraction of a degree to one side. It stuck the ground less than three yards from the children, sending a wave of debris over them. They broke down crying, but other than minor scratches seemed to be okay.

_Why is he so strong? _Beast Boy wondered again. His eyes paused for a second as he saw something engraved on his foe's fingers, a third rune. He twisted to keep it in view, and with the villain seeming to move so slow to his enhanced senses he became overconfident. Lost in memory for a brief second, he didn't notice the massive, titanium-coated, granite fist that arched down to strike his back. He crumpled to the ground.

"BB." Raven shrieked, looking up from where she was examining Starfire. Her eyes turned white, and black power dripped from her finger tips.

"B." Cyborg stood in shock.

Robin went white, saying nothing.

"Haha." A voice crackled. "And the dog bites the dust. No one stands up to the Great Adonis."

Pain rushed through the shape shifter, causing him to flinch for a second. The main thought of the brutally mangled boy as he shifted, leaving behind the normally fatal wounds that had literally left him as flat as pancake, was that he'd flinched. _Got to work on that. _He noted_. With Kishar I didn't flinch because I knew she was going to beat me, but when I don't expect it ... _He let the thought fade as he went to work, slashing at his foe.

_It was time to shift anyway. _The shape shifter quietly mused. _I was becoming fatigued. _Twisting, he stuck again, knowing he was doing little more than scratching the granite giant. But now he knew why the villain was so strong; on his finger was engraved the same rune he'd seen on the ring Kishar had once sent him to take from Adonis. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw a battered, but still alive Starfire rise in the air. Thought she cradled her right arm, there was fire in her eyes, and a starbolt lit her one good hand.

"Aim for his left hand." Beast Boy cried, briefly becoming human. Dodging a one-ton fist he reverted back being a Cheetion and went to work. He slashed at the rune even as starbolts hit mere inches from him. Savagely, he clawed at the villain's ring finger, trying to obliterate the source of his unnatural strength.

"Not there." A voice roared. Thought it still reeked of arrogance, there was a hint of worry. "Don't let them destroy that glyph you stupid rock pile."

Thought the main body of the villain was nearly indestructible, the combined efforts of claws and starbolts wore away the rune that lent their foe his supernatural power. When he saw something flicker and darken within that rune, Beast Boy rolled away. To his senses their enemy was now somehow different. His movements were more what they expected of Cinderblock, and while he was still strong it was no longer enhanced by magic. Badly burned from starbolts that'd struck too close, the shape shifter refreshed his form, healing the wounds even as he continued the attack.

"Damn it." Adonis' voice roared from the mouth of the granite giant. "I'll still stomp all you pests into the ground. No one beats the Great One."

The next car Cinderblock sent hurling at Starfire was easily smashed aside by a fist of black magic, and the battle continued. Their foe gained a few new scratches and blast marks, while Starfire wobbled where she stood in the air. Beast Boy, for his part, shifted several time to remove the fatigue from his body. On the bright side, the school had been left far behind, and the citizens of Jump City knew enough to avoid the battle. Occasionally Adonis' voice could be heard ranting from the villain, but that they simply ignored.

"Fall back." Robin's voice roared through the sounds of the fight, and the team obeyed.

"Are you okay?" Raven intoned with a hint of panic, looking pale as she looked the shape shifter over. When her glowing hands reached out to touch him, Beast Boy stood still and smiled reassuringly at her. A few seconds later the girl blinked, clearly puzzled, yet obviously relieved. Her eyes closed, and she pulled the stunned boy in for a hug while a myriad of emotions waged war on her normally impassive face.

"I'm fine." He told her. "I just got distracted because I was trying to think of lame jokes to tell you."

"I see." The violet-eyed girl smiled a little, and stepped back, too emotional to be able to say anything more.

"The foundation for a major building has been dug just a mile north of here." Boy Wonder interrupted, looking a little relieved as well when he saw the shape shifter was okay.

"And you want us to lead him there?" Beast Boy asked.

"Right." The leader replied. "I had the workers there set some explosive charges. Just get him near it, and we'll collapse one of the sides so he slides in. Then we can take our time and pound him. Cyborg's sonic cannon will be fixed soon, and there's a power supply he can use at the site."

The team set the plan into action, and within the hour Cinderblock was once again secured within Jump City's high security prison. Of Adonis there'd been no sign, thought by the end of the ordeal they'd all been sick of his ranting, and would've gladly killed him for no other reason than to silence him. His voice had only faded when their granite foe had slipped into unconsciousness. The runes that marred his body had all faded at the same time.

* * *

Thought he sensed no despair coming from her room, Beast Boy still stood knocking on Raven's door.

"Come in." The violet-eyed girl intoned. She let a trembling hand rise, and tried to focus for a second before she gave up the struggle. "I'm sure you can open it yourself." She added sarcastically.

"No meditation tonight?" The boy asked with a faint smile, stepping into the room. He cringed when the girl actually growled.

"Here." Raven told him, throwing a small metallic cube. "That makes seven."

"I see." He sat beside her. "I would help you make them if I could."

"Right." She sighed, closing her eyes. "What was Africa like?"

Beast Boy sat beside the girl, resting his head against her bed. "Peaceful." He told her in a quiet voice, letting his fondness for the place show. "Where I was there were wards around that kept most people away except for those from a few small villages. How the wards could tell the different I don't know, just that they did. Few strangers came, and none of the villagers ever seemed to disappear because they couldn't find their way back. There were trees from all over the world, and when I was hungry I just became something that could eat from them. The berries from the Red Stinkwoods were the best though. I would often sit with the person who lived there and eat them while we talked. That's what we did each night. We ate those berries, drank tea, and talked."

"Sounds nice."

"It was. The person who taught me likes her privacy, but I don't think she would mind if you visited. She's been around for a long time, and knows things. If you have questions she'll have some sort of answer, thought she doesn't sugarcoat them. Well, at least not usually. She's very kind."

Raven relaxed and closed her eyes, still able to sense the boy with her empathic senses. While she didn't probe too deeply, she knew that he was content just to sit and talk with her. With a slight smile, she tilted her head as if embracing the warmth of the noonday sun, and found that she in turn was content just to sit and talk with him.

* * *

End of Chapter.

I probably overuse Cinderblock as a villain, but sometime in the next chapter or two I'll use a 'villain' that I've never used before. Yeah, it'll be a character from the DC universe.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	15. Chapter 15

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_How smart is Adonis? He can make a neural-interfaced suit, so while he might like using his fists, he can't be too stupid. And he's a decent fighter able to go hand-to-hand for a few round with the Titans before he gets taken down. I would see him as driven by his ego and his hormones, but not someone lacking in smarts. That's my take on him anyway._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Groceries,... The First Grocery Store,... The Second Grocery Store,... The Truck,... Finally,... Back at the Tower,...**_

"We need groceries." Cyborg mumbled through the ham, cheese, bacon, egg, salami, pepperoni, turkey, and goodness know what else sandwich that he was munching on with obvious glee. Once in a while he would peer at Beast Boy as if daring him to say something

"We do." Raven intoned, sipping on the last of her herbal tea. Her violet eyes would occasionally flicker towards the shape shifter, silently blaming him for the tragedy.

"We do." Beast Boy agreed, keeping a wary eye on his plate. Every time he cooked tofu dogs at least one would disappear, with the result that he'd run out. The two he was about to devour with relish were the last of them.

"Well?" The cybernetic made a show of licking his fingers, still trying to tempt the shape shifter into making one of his anti-meat remarks.

"Well?" Raven asked, looking forlornly at her empty cup?

Well what?" Beast Boy echoed, carefully guarding the last of his food. When he looked, he saw only one tofu dog on his plate. With accusing eyes, he glanced at Raven who had just lifted a large book that hid her face.

"Well, who's going to do the shopping?" Cyborg asked.

Raven paused in chewing on the pilfered tofu dog. "Oh." She glanced towards the evidence room with a tiny frown. Starfire was the goto girl for shopping. For one she enjoyed it, plus she had the super strength necessary to carry the Titan's daily demands of food as well as the other necessities of daily life, such as Cyborg's quarts of oil. Apparently not having to fight tooth and claw for food was a novelty to the orange-skinned Tamaranean,

"Oh." Beast Boy echoed Raven, glancing towards the evidence room as well. While the violet-eyed empath had used her empathic healing to fix the girl's broken arm and other injuries, Robin had, with an overprotective zeal, decided she needed a day of bed rest. Unable to tear himself away from the evidence room, he'd insisted Starfire rest on the cot in there. Glad to be noticed by the boy who rarely gave her the attention she desired, the girl hadn't complained.

Boy Wonder rushed out from the evidence room in a panic. "Someone needs to go for groceries." He exclaimed, holding up a bright-yellow jar that was an empty mustard container.

"We know." Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy chorused.

"I can't leave Starfire after she was so badly hurt." The spiky-haired boy pointed out. "It has to be one of you."

"I have to fix my baby." The cybernetic teen said. A single tear slid down his cheek.

"I'll go." Beast Boy offered. "Seems I'm the only one free."

Cyborg and Robin turned pale, and glanced at each other.

"No way." The titanium-clad Titan exclaimed. "You'll get nothing but that gunk you call food. It'll clog my systems and I'll die from a heart attack."

"While I don't want to sound so dramatic." Boy Wonder said. "I do agree with him. I like my meat."

"I'll go." Raven intoned. "There's no way I can make any wards today. If I try I'll go insane and murder you all."

The three boys gulped, and looked at each wondering if the girl was joking.

"Ahem." Cyborg cleared his throat, sweating a little. "Do you know the difference between a sirloin and short loin cut of meat?" He asked.

"Loin?" The girl did her best to look impassive, but her eyes still showed confusion.

"Flank?" Robin asked.

"You mean when we try to outflank a villain?" Raven asked. "What does that have to do with meat?"

"Round?" The cybernetic teen asked.

"Duh! A circle." The girl said sarcastically. "But what does that have to do with meat."

"Brisket?" Boy Wonder asked hopefully?

"What do biscuits have to do with meat?" Raven was starting to look annoyed.

"Chuck?" Cyborg asked.

"Chuck who?"

The cybernetic teen eyed her, looking confused.

"Hey." Raven shrugged. "You recall the last time I tried to cook? Well that's what I know about food. I just eat what's put in front of me."

* * *

"I'm quite capable of going shopping alone.." Raven fumed, creating a black disc of energy for her and Beast Boy to ride on.

"I would've bought him his meat." The shape shifter muttered under his breath. "Well, at least meat flavored tofu anyway. He wouldn't have noticed the difference." The boy looked at the girl beside him, noticing that she wore black jeans along with a blue blouse. While he thought it was weird for her to wear such clothes after the whole Adonis affair, he also thought she looked cute.

"How would you know what the different cuts of meat are anyway?" Raven looked at the boy beside her, noticing that he'd become the blonde-haired stranger who'd rescued her from Adonis. He wore a pair of blue jeans with a green shirt. She still preferred his old way of looking over the new.

"I can't." The shape shifter shrugged. "I'm just along to make sure you don't buy anything that's spoiled."

The girl sighed. "And I'm only going to make sure you actually buy the meat." She felt her pocket where there was a very long list. She would make sure the meat got bought, while Beast Boy would make sure it was fresh. For the actual cuts they would either ask, or just compare what was written on the list to what was on the package.

"For the record I'm starting to think the 'boy' part of my name is appropriate." Beast Boy said, watching the girl from the corner of his eye. "I mean, it's strange. They trust us to save the world, but not to do something any ten-year old can do."

"Ditto." Raven sent the disc flying into the early morning sky. "So where do we find a grocery store?" She intoned, deadly serious.

* * *

It was a full hour later when the duo saw a sign that read 'How Do You Like Your Meat?' Heedless of how rundown the place looked, they rushed inside. Two seconds later they were running for their lives, taking to the sky again. The meat the sign mentioned didn't come from animals, unless you counted humans among that group.

"Do women really like that sort of thing?" Raven asked, red-faced. In the shop she'd seen several men, totally naked, being led around by a leather wearing, whip wielding, woman. They'd been clearly labelled with every number there was in neon-pink lettering. Their biceps had listed how much they could bench press, while a certain other part had listed length and girth as well as endurance. There'd been several other women, and one man, watching the show.

"How would I know, I'm not a woman." The equally red-faced boy stuttered. "But you know, I think we should've bought something there." He paused. "Well, someone."

"Waa..." Shocked, Raven looked at the boy puzzled. She knew he was obsessed with girls, or at least had been.

"Imagine Cy and Rob's face if we walked in with two of those guys, and told them here's your meat."

The violet-eyed girl smirked. "Okay. That would be interesting to see." She admitted, working double time to keep from giggling. "But where are we going to find a grocery store? I'm not too macho to admit that I'm afraid to try another place at random."

"Ask for directions?" The boy suggested.

"Good idea." She let the disc drop to street level, and hunted for someone to ask.

* * *

This time the place was clearly a grocery store. Through the large, clear windows they could see all sorts of food, while the people leaving had bags of said goodies that they were piling into various cars and trucks.

"Only took us two hours to find it." Raven intoned. "Given how large Jump City is, I think we did pretty good."

"Agreed." Beast Boy said. "But there's a slight problem."

"Oh."

"Can you read what's on the bags, or what the sign says?"

Raven blinked. "No."

"I think we might've ended up in Chinatown."

"Oh." The girl let a small frown cross her face. If they couldn't read the writing, it would be hard to shop here. "Give it another try?" She suggested.

"Unless I turn into a Tamaranean and kiss someone, we have too."

The disc soared up into the sky again.

* * *

"Hey." Beast Boy yelped an hour later. "I got an idea."

"What is it?" The girl who contentedly sat beside him idly asked.

"There's a grocery truck. If we follow it, it might lead us to a grocery store."

"As good an idea as any." The disc swooped to follow the truck that sped up. On its side she could read 'Green Buck Groceries' in large bright-green letters.

"Why're they going so fast? It could be dangerous." Beast Boy muttered, eyes still on the vehicle.

"Well, we can stop them and tell them to slow down." Raven suggested. "We can also ask for directions." She sent the disc to hover in front of the speeding truck.

"Eep." The shape shifter shrieked as the driver rather than slowing down, hit the gas. Though Raven sent them hurling upwards, the run-a-way vehicle passed just inches below them. "Whatever type of engine they got, I know Cy would love to check it out." The boy muttered. He yelped again when gunfire came at them.

"Maybe they're carrying something illegal?" Raven intoned. "I'm going to stop them." She was wondering how to go about doing that when some of the gunfire came a bit too close. Annoyed, she simply growled. "Okay Rage, you're up." A giant black fist leapt out and hit the top of the truck, causing all eight of its tires to explode. It slowed down, but still kept moving. The hand of dark magic turned around, and closed on the front of the villainous vehicle and squeezed. Whatever engine it had, Cyborg would never see more than tiny fragments of it now. "They're stopped." The violet-eyed girl needlessly intoned with just the tiniest hint of satisfaction. She projected a shield to protect them from the hail of bullets that continued unabated, .

"Would the driver of a grocery truck be carrying guns?" Beast Boy asked.

"No idea." Raven intoned. "I doubt they would have four drivers for one truck though. That's how many I can sense." The hand she wielded with amazing finesse turned to grab the upper part of the cab. Slowly it tore away. A lot of fearful shouting came from the vehicle, but the gunfire didn't cease for a single second.

Beast Boy watched with admiration as the half-demon girl then deftly sent her magic down to pluck one of the men from the disabled truck. The villain continued to struggle, trying to aim his gun, until dark magic coated it, ripping it from his hands. Letting him drop, she went to work on another.

"They should settle it." Raven intoned with a slightly demonic grin. She let the shield drop, and strolled forward to apprehend the villains. Rocks came at her, forcing her to put the barrier back in place. "I'm starting to get annoyed." The girl admitted.

"Let me handle the rest of it." Beast Boy suggested, becoming a ten-ton tyrannosaurus that marched on the shattered truck with a roar. Looking down at the four cowering men, he grinned with drool dripping down on them.

"We surrender." Two them yelled. "Take the money, just don't harm us."

"Money?" Raven asked, looking in through the broken remains of a window. "We just wanted to tell you to stop speeding, and ask for direction to the nearest grocery store."

The jaws of three of the men dropped, while the third just blinked in disbelief. "You weren't going to rob us?" One of them asked.

"Who would rob a grocery truck?" The girl intoned. "If we wanted money we would hit an armored truck from a bank."

"Umm. Raven." Beast Boy hesitantly spoke, returning to being the blonde-haired boy he'd been before. "Would a grocery store use an armored vehicle to carry groceries?"

"Not the kind we're looking for." The girl replied. She blinked. "Oh." The vehicle she'd just wrecked was an armored truck.

"It's a new idea our bosses came up with." One of the men stuttered, looking pale with a bit of dinosaur drool on his bald head. "They thought no one would hit a grocery truck, so they had us mark them as such."

Raven closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't suppose you know how to get to the nearest grocery store?" She intoned.

"Sorry." The man replied. "We're delivering ... stuff ... from Wayne Banks Ltd in Gotham. We don't know this area."

"I thought it was a good idea." Beast Boy apologized when they were back in the air.

"It was." Intoned the girl beside him. "We had no way of knowing it wasn't a grocery truck. Don't worry, we'll find a grocery store somewhere."

* * *

Various adventures, and three hours later, they happened across one.

"See." Raven intoned. "You were worried for nothing."

Together they stared through a window at a large selection of fruits and vegetables. Behind that, in large coolers, were various cuts of meats. But best of all, the prices and the signs were all in English. So far, neither of them had bothered to pay attention to the twenty-seven messages they'd received from Robin and Cyborg. They figured six hours to find something in a place the size of Jump City was quite reasonable.

* * *

"We need to stock up on cereal." Beast Boy said, pushing a cart down an aisle.

"What you eat isn't cereal, Beast Boy." Raven quipped. "It's sugar. Try something with whole grains."

"I like sugar." The boy retorted.

"It'll kill you." The girl replied in a monotone. "It'll clog your arteries."

"My arteries are perfectly fine." The shape shifter countered.

"It'll rot your teeth."

"I fix everything when I shift. No rotten teeth, and no clogged arteries."

"Oh." She gave a small frown. "But wouldn't you rather sometime new? See, they got several types of whole bran cereal on special."

"It's on special because no one buys it." He countered. "That's the only way they can get rid of it."

When they strolled through a section of fruits and vegetables, Beast Boy paused with a frown.

"What is it?" Raven asked.

"Have you ever seen a single fruit or vegetable brought into the tower?"

"Hrm. Now that you mention it, never." The girl looked around at the various produce, looking a little confused. "That can't be healthy." She admitted, not recognizing half of what she saw.

"Think we should buy something? The bananas are pretty good. They're especially tasty when you turn into a monkey or gorilla."

"Only you can do that." Raven pointed out.

"Oh. Right." Beast Boy looked around. "I wonder if they have some Red Stinkwood berries. It would be a nice reminder of Africa."

"Humans find them too bitter. I doubt they would have any." Raven replied. Curious, she'd done some research on the things he'd mentioned about his trip.

"Oh." The shape shifter sighed, looking dejected.

"Which ones are the bananas?" The girl asked. "If you like them then we should get some." She paused. "Even I might try one.'

When they came to the mustard, they simply loaded the cart and went back for another. The orange-skinned Tamaranean could drink a dozen bottles a day. If she felt ignored by Robin, which wasn't too uncommon, it was usually two dozen.

For a while the two wandered around the store, looking at the various items. When they saw something of interest, they tossed it into the cart. Eventually they came to the meats.

"So much." Raven intoned, looking at down the aisle that ran the full length of the store. On both sides were different types of meat. She looked at the list, and then looked back at the two one-hundred and fifty foot rows of dead animal flesh. "This could take a while." She admitted. Looking at the time, she noted they'd been gone for eight hours, and that there were now eighty-seven messages from Cyborg and Robin.

"The store will close in fifteen minutes." A pleasant-sounding voice spoke through hidden microphones.

"Huh?" The two looked at each other in a panic.

"It's only quarter to six." Raven intoned, looking puzzled. "What sort of store closes that early?"

"Weird." Beast Boy shrugged. "Maybe it's some sort of holiday? I mean, the arcade doesn't close until twelve, and the theatre has movies that don't start until nine, the pizza parlor is open until eleven."

"Holiday of some sort?" Raven agreed. "Has to be." She looked down the aisle again. "But that still only leaves us with fourteen minutes to find what we need."

"It's a holiday. They can't blame us if the stores closed early." The shape shifter countered. "We should just skip it."

"They'll kill us, and have us for meat if we do that." The violet-eyed girl intoned. She glanced at the T-communicator. There were now a hundred and eight messages.

"Can I help you?" A male voice asked from behind them. Turning they saw a well tanned man of maybe twenty, who was six-foot with blonde hair and blue eyes. That he worked out was obvious. His gaze lingered on Raven for a second, clearly taking in her beauty with appreciative eyes.

"We need to fill this." Raven showed the store worker the list. When his eyes flickered over her, she felt butterflies rise in her stomach.

"No problem." He gave her a friendly smile, ignoring the boy beside her.

Beast Boy froze, taking in the scene before him. That the man found Raven interesting was obvious. Even without the aid of his nose he could tell that. It was equally obvious that she was smitten with the friendly store worker. For the last several hours they'd quietly sat as they'd searched for a grocery store. Sometimes they'd talked, and it'd been fun. Sometime they'd just let a comfortable silence hang over them, and that had been fun as well. In fact, to him, it'd been paradise. He'd occasionally glanced at her, and had seen her sometimes glance at him in return. There'd always been a slight smile on her lips, and he'd been able to sense that she was as content as he was. Sheer heaven. But now her eyes were on this guy, and he doubted she even realized her was there anymore. Fury and jealousy rose within him.

Tentatively, not wishing to bend the morals Azar had instilled in her, Raven reached out with her empathic senses. A trace of lust, but it was overlapped by genuine interest and a sense of happiness. There was no darkness, and no anger. _I might like him. _She admitted, and a small smile flickered across her lips.

It took the store worker, whose name was Paul, all of five minutes to fill the rest of the grocery list. At the end of it, he and Raven exchanged numbers.

"How lucky." Raven intoned, heading for the checkout lime. Together they pushed three carts overloaded with groceries.

"Yeah." Beast Boy growled the response.

The girl looked at her friend puzzled. "What's wrong?" The question was met with silence.

At the checkout line the cashier tried to engage them in conversation? "Aren't you two kind of young to be married?" She asked.

"Married?" Raven's eyes shot wide open in shock. "We're not." She managed to intoned, blushing.

"Tsk. I've worked here for ten years now, and I know a married couple when I see it. You two are definitely married." The woman flipped the items through the checkout with machine-gun rapidity, talking as she did so.

"We're not." Raven insisted again, while beside her Beast Boy just frowned.

"If not, then you've been dating for a long time, and are living together." The cashier firmly stated. "My instincts can't be that far off."

"We're not." The violet-eyed girl insisted again. She glanced to see Paul standing beside the the checkout, looking on in curiosity. "He's my brother." She hurried to add, deciding it was close to the truth. While not related by blood they were as close as if they were. They would die for each other, and would without fail chose the other's best interest over their own. They were closer than brother and sister, closer than just friends, even boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Guess my instincts were wrong for once." The woman continued to process the three carts of groceries with supernatural speed, causing Raven to wonder if she was Kid Flash in drag. _That'll come as a shock to Jinx. _The girl mused, and her lips briefly turned up in a tiny smile. When she glanced towards Paul he flash a smile back, sending the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy.

* * *

"What do you think of Paul?" Raven asked, balancing the ton or so of groceries on the black disc they once again rode.

"Who?" Beast Boy replied in a monotone, eyes closed.

The girl looked at him puzzled. Given she'd used her empathic senses to check first, she was sure Paul was no Mark, but she valued her friend's opinion. When he was serious about something, she'd found his sense of judgement to be nearly perfect. "Paul, the store worker." She explained.

"Never heard of him." He slipped off the disc, and chose to ride beside it as a common swift.

Worried, the violet-eyed girl frowned. The sense of contentment she often felt when beside her friend was gone, replaced by anger and something else that she couldn't quite pick out. Without thinking, she forgot her ethics, and probed deeper. To her shock she met what could only be described as a wall, and the eyes of the bird turned angrily towards her.

"Sorry." Raven gasped, stunned, realizing that her friend had somehow sensed, and then blocked the intrusion. "It's hard to ... I sometime forget ..." She went quiet.

* * *

"You were gone NINE hours." An angry Cyborg growled. "I nearly starved to death." He grabbed several steaks and ran for the stove.

"Where's my Doritos." Asked a frantic Boy Wonder who desperately needed something to snack on. "And Starfire's mustard?"

"There were none." Beast Boy told him, not quite suppressing the growl that wanted to erupt from his throat.

"No Doritos? Couldn't you've checked another store?" There was no fire, or anger, in the tone, yet Beast Boy felt his own control slip.

"If you wanted Doritos then you should've went with us rather than using Starfire as an excuse to stay behind." He snarled, showing his teeth.

"She was hurt, and I had to stay with her."

Beast Boy started to yell some angry retort at the leader, but desperately fought to hold it back. He could sense that for once Robin had actually placed Starfire above all else, and there was no finding fault with his genuine concern. Instead he thundered a savage growl at the white-faced boy, and fled.

In his room he became the beast, enhancing the form with extra muscles and a cheetah's speed. Using power, he viciously slashed at the wall creating four three-inch deep grooves in it. Silent, as if shocked, he started at the damage and blinked, recalling how much effort he'd spent cleaning and then painting the place. In a second of anger he'd undone a part of that. It would take more than just a coat of paint to fix the gashes, and the foot-thick slab of steel had even buckled a little. "Damn." The frustrated boy sighed, returning to his human form. Then, looking at the window, he became a common swift that took to the darkening sky.

* * *

"I take it the shopping trip didn't go well?" Cyborg asked, cautiously peering out from behind the counter.

"I thought it went well." Raven intoned, still puzzled, and now more than just a little bit worried. She teleported to Beast Boy's room to see the four deep gashes that glinted silver, and the boy nowhere in sight. Something inside her twisted, and she gulped. _He can't be gone again. _The girl thought, wanting to cry.

* * *

End of Chapter.

This chapter I just wanted some filler showing a little interaction between Beast Boy and Raven, followed by the final scene. Not sure how it turned out so long.

Next chapter we'll see a new 'villain.'

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	16. Chapter 16

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Sleeping,... Nevermore,... The Question,... Breakfast,... The New Minion,...**_

Kishar shook her head in mock wonder. "Despite all my many years it puzzles me how I can find such pride in you, and yet at times be so ashamed." Her lips were curled up in an amused smile, and her emerald-green eyes twinkled.

Sulking, Beast Boy picked a berry from the nearby Red Stinkwood tree, not understanding how the woman he called mother could find the situation so amusing.

"What did you learn?" The woman picked a few berries as well, and popped one into her mouth with a sigh of contentment.

"I'm glad that I can't project power." The boy replied, knowing an answer was expected. "If my emotions could harm like Raven's can, then I might've killed Robin." Thinking on that he shuddered. It was a thought that'd already crossed his mind, and he was already as pale as he could be. "It makes me respect her even more." He added, recalling the rage he'd felt.

"True." Kishar replied, happily savoring the Red Stinkwood berry with her eyes half closed. "It she wasn't such an amazing woman, I wouldn't have approved of her as your girlfriend." She giggled when that provoked a growl from her son.

"She'll never look at me that way?" Beast Boy spoke with a sorrowful sigh, looking downcast. He frowned when that only provoked another giggle.

"While I would have it otherwise, she's the one you've chosen." The woman smiled at him. "But have you ever told her that you wish to be more than friends? Have you even hinted at it?"

"Well..." The shape shifter refused to meet her piercing gaze.

"You haven't. You've always hidden it, either too ashamed or too afraid to admit it to her."

The boy looked down at his hands, noting the lightly tanned skin that held a hint of green. "I never thought she would accept someone who was so beneath her as more than a friend. I know she's kind, and that she has a sense of humor, but ..." He sighed, not knowing how to explain. "I believed that she would just laugh, and that we would no longer be friends. I was both afraid, and ashamed."

Kishar swallowed the berry she'd been savoring before speaking again with a thoughtful look. "For so long she's been afraid to dream, knowing that her destiny was a dark one. But now she's awaking to the knowledge that there's more to life than fear while she awaits some dreadful end. She knows that despite her demon heritage she can make friends, and now hopes to find love." The woman looked at her son with a gentle and kind smile. "If you wish to be the one she finds that love with, then tell her."

"But ..." In his mind the boy saw only the ways in which he could be rejected.

"Life is a risk." Kishar shrugged nonchalantly. "If she rejects you then you sulk for a while, and then march forward. Given your nature I doubt it'll keep you down for long." Seeing the look on her son's face she smiled. "That's the opinion of an old woman who's seen way too much over the years, but in that old woman's mind, the harm you do to yourself by keeping bottled what you feel causes you more grief than just saying it, and then accepting whatever comes."

Beast Boy pondered those words.

"If you're ashamed of what you are than consider this." Kishar flicked the nose of her son, causing him to yelp. Knowing she had his undivided attention she continued. "As you grow older your power and skills will develop. For a shape shifter the only things that are impossible are those that're impossible for every creature that has ever lived, or ever will live. If you feel shame then let it not be because of the gifts I gave you. Are you ashamed of me?"

"No." The boy leapt to his feet in violent denial. "I would never be ashamed of you."

Kishar smiled, and gazed fondly at her son.

* * *

Raven awoke still feeling tired, having tossed and turned through the entire night. Carefully, trying not to intrude, she sent her emphatic senses outward checking to see if Beast Boy was in his room. He wasn't. With a worried look she rose and grabbed the mirror that was her portal to Nevermore.

"Why's he so angry?" She immediately asked, appearing in the clearing where that horrible doll of BB still silently stood.

"Boy. And I thought Brave was pretty oblivious." Rage muttered darkly.

"Hey." The insulted emoticlone leapt to her feet ready to fight.

"Sit down." Raven ordered.

"You were pretty insulting." Knowledge said, flipping through several pages in her book.

"Huh? You mean when I tried to sense his feelings?" Raven frowned, recalling the shame and guilt of breaking the ethic's Azar had pounded into her.

"If I'm oblivious, then what do you call her?" Brave asked.

"Words fail me." Rage admitted, lifting her left hand to scratch her head. On her wrist dangled one of the wards Raven had made.

"I didn't come here to be insulted." The violet-eyed girl intoned, working to control her temper.

"I mean, when you said he was your brother." Knowledge explained with a slight shake of her head.

"Why would he find that insulting?"

"It's like saying let's just be friends to a guy." Rage growled. "Only worse."

"Why is saying someone's a friend an insult?" The perplexed girl asked.

"Because it means you find him lacking in the qualities that would make him more than a friend." Knowledge explained. "That he's unworthy to be more than just that."

"Huh?" Raven blinked.

Rage sighed darkly. "It's like saying that you see him as unmanly, or as one of your girlfriends. That you'll never be interested in him as anything other than a friend, and that no one else ever will either. You insulted his manhood, and basically neutered him. Then you flirted with another guy in front of him." She shook her head. "Even for me that's kinda brutal."

Raven shook her head, still looking puzzled. "How? I only said that he's my brother, and he is like one to me."

"I demand a dictionary." Rage growled. "I want to see if there's a word that fits that level of obliviousness."

"There're phrases." Knowledge told her. "But no single word quite fits." She paused for a second. "Please don't ask me to repeat any of those phrases. She would kill me."

"Hey." Raven exclaimed, glaring at the trio in front of her.

"To put it in plain English." Knowledge said, pushing up her glasses. "He's shown every sign that he's interested in us as more than just friends, and you basically said that he was beneath you."

"That you didn't even see him as a guy." Rage added.

"He did not, and I did not." Raven retorted. "He's never shown that sort of interest in me, and I never said he wasn't a guy or that he was beneath me."

"What do you hope to find in a boyfriend?" Knowledge asked.

"Hrm." Raven tried to calm down as she pondered the question for a second. "Someone who makes me happy, who knows what I am, and still thinks of me as special. Someone I can trust without exception, and who I can share my life with."

"Have you ever thought BB might be that someone?" Rage asked.

"Gaaa." The shocked girl sat down. "No." She admitted, glancing across the clearing where Timid was sitting beside that awful doll. The emoticlone was staring forlornly up at it, silently crying. "But I know you have."

"When we're beside him it comforts her." Brave said, looking at the silently weeping gray-clad girl. "She's afraid that he's gone for good."

"How does BB stand compared to your expectations of a boyfriend?" Knowledge asked. "How do you feel when you're with him compared to how when he's gone?"

* * *

"If I told you that you were like a brother to me, and let's just be friends, would you find it insulting?" Raven asked, looking where Cyborg was working on the ruins of the T-car.

"No." The boy replied, glancing at the girl with a perplexed expression.

"Ha." She exclaimed, glad to have proven her emoticlones wrong.

"But that's only because I see you as a kid sister and don't want to be more than friends."The cybernetic teen shrugged. "On the other hand, if I were ... umm ... romantically interested, then I might find it very insulting. No guy ever wants to hear the words let's just be friends from someone he likes as more than just a friend."

"Oh." Raven frowned. _Kid? _She wondered, feeling a little insulted. _He thinks of me as a kid? Does that mean he thinks I'm immature?_

* * *

"If I told you that you were like a brother to me, and let's just be friends, would you find it insulting?" Raven asked, looking where Robin was frenetically pounding on a computer terminal.

"Huh?" The startled boy looked up. "Does this have something to do with Slade?"

"Never mind." Raven teleported away.

* * *

"You're here." The violet-eyed girl exclaimed, having teleported down to the commons room.

"Where else would I be?" Beast Boy asked. "Robin instructed us to stay close by in case Adonis tries something."

"Right. I ... umm ..." She shrugged nonchalantly and sat down, feeling the dread that'd been with her all night fade.

"If I were to leave again, I would say good-bye." He gave her a comforting smile. "I wouldn't just disappear."

"Oh." Raven eyed his plate, and her eyes lit up when the boy push two of the tofu dogs towards her. "Thanks." She intoned, biting into one.

"It's only fair. After all, I did steal some of your herbal tea again."

"Oh." The girl hid a small smile, and silently wished every morning could be like this. She blinked, recalling what she'd claimed she wanted in a boyfriend. _Someone to share my life with._ She thought again, and for a second there were butterflies in her stomach. _I actually would be content to wake up each morning to find him there to talk to, or to sit in silence with. He always knows which I'm in the mood for. _

"You know I'm half demon." Raven said, eyeing the shape shifter.

"I know." He replied between bites of his own breakfast.

"How does that make you feel? I'm evil."

Beast Boy blinked and looked up. "Why? Do you think I'm evil? My ability to shape shift comes from demon blood."

"Waa..." The girl stared in shock.

"Long story, and one in which I dies." The boy shrugged. "But to answer your question on how your being half demon makes me feel." He shrugged again. "It doesn't make me feel anything. When I see you I see someone who's courageous, smart, kind, funny, and pretty." He blushed a bright red. "And very strong." He hurried to add.

"Oh." The butterflies in her stomach returned. "Have you ever thought about dating me?" She asked impulsively, heart racing.

For a second the shape shifter froze, not knowing what to do. Then, slowly, he reached out his hand.

"What?" Raven looked confused, and it took her a while to realize that she was being invited to probe what he felt, that this time there would be no wall to block her. Reaching out, she touched his hand. "Oh." She exclaimed.

"I've liked you since the day I saw you. Sure I thought you were creepy and mysterious, but I also saw how incredible you were. Then each day that like grew until I saw just how amazing and special you were. One day, I'm not sure when, I just knew that I loved you." Beast Boy cringed, waiting for the rejection.

"Oh." The stunned empath sighed, letting the myriad emotions that came from him rush over her. In her whole life she'd never felt anything so pure, not even from Azar herself. "How did you hide it?" She quietly wondered aloud, not taking her hand from his.

"I didn't. I was content to sit with you and talk, so that was what I focused on, how much I liked being around you. It was never hidden."

"Oh." She intertwined her fingers with his, and sat holding his hand. _He makes me happy. _The girl realized. _He knows what I am, and still thinks I'm special. I trust him without exception, and I would be happy to share my life with him. _Contentedly she sat, unaware of the time passing, and he did the same.

* * *

"Argh." Robin yelled in obvious panic, rushing into the room to push the alarm button.

"What going on?" Raven intoned, reluctantly pulling her hand away from Beast Boy's.

"We have big trouble." Boy Wonder informed the group after Cyborg and Starfire had arrived.

"Let me guess, Adonis has another minion." Raven intoned with a slight frown. "A major one. What villain is it this time?"

"Can that ritual be used to control someone good?" Boy Wonder asked.

"Everyone has a bit of evil in them, but it would certainly be harder, and it wouldn't last. Why?"

"Because I just got word from Batman that someone used green kryptonite to weaken Superman. Afterwards he had a scarlet 'S' on his forehead, and his eyes were changed."

"Oh." Raven gulped.

"Dude. We can't fight Superman." Cyborg exclaimed.

"We could." Beast Boy tried to shrug nonchalantly. "But we would get our butts kicked big time."

"If we had green kryptonite we could fight him." Raven intoned. "We would only need to weaken him, and then remove the runes that allows Adonis to control him."

"Yeah. About that." Boy Wonder held up the display of a laptop. "Batman already tried it, but ..."

"Is that friend Superman?" Starfire asked, looking puzzled.

"I see." Cyborg said, staring at the picture on the screen. "Adonis made him a suit of armor of sorts. It'll block the affects of any kryptonite."

"A villain might be easy to control." Raven intoned. "But with someone like Superman the powers generated by the ritual will fade. There'll won't be enough evil to sustain it." Seeing the puzzled looks around her, she explained. "The evil inside a person is the power which the spell feeds on, and without that evil it'll burn itself out. We just need to wait a few hours and he'll snap out of it."

Two brilliant red beams of laser like light sliced through the building, missing them by inches.

"Of course." Raven added in a monotone. "We need to survive those few hours." Rolling her eyes up to peer at the gaping holes in the wall, she gulped.

* * *

End of Chapter.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	17. Chapter 17

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_The spells Raven uses are in Latin, assuming one can trust Google Translator. The various translations are at the bottom of the chapter._

_With the shopping trip I don't think either Raven or Beast Boy cared about the time. They were just happy bouncing around the city together. To them the longer it lasted the better. Beast Boy wanted to be beside Raven, and Raven sick of meditating to create wards would probably have enjoyed getting out. Plus she was content just sitting beside Beast Boy as well._

_Starfire would've grown up in a warrior culture, but at least she was allowed to be a full part of it. Raven on the other hand was raised by monks in another dimension. I think she would be more clueless about some things than Starfire would be. Just my opinion there though._

_As for where would Adonis get kryptonite, where do villain get anything? They steal it. How would he get the drop on superman. Not too familiar with superman, but would it be that hard? Commit a crime, and when he shows have a grenade scatter kryptonite dust over an area. (Hide the grenade using lead of course.)_

_Regarding KP fics. I have two stories in mind, but whether or not I'll get around to writing them is another question. (One RonxKim, and one RonxShego)_

* * *

_**Teen Titans vs The Man of Steel,...**_

"Basement." Robin commanded, looking towards Raven.

Even as more beams of red light ripped through the walls, the violet-eyed girl reach out with her soulself, and carried them to the bottom floor of the tower.

"That should buy us thirty seconds." Cyborg said, cringing at the sounds of destruction that came from above.

"I'm not too big of a man to say we run." Boy Wonder gulped, pointing at the T-ship. "We're far enough down that it should take him a few seconds to find us, so we head out to sea and wait it out."

Raven blinked. "Too big of a man?" She couldn't resist quipping sarcastically, noting their leader's small stature. "Sorry, habit." She intoned when he glared at her.

"Let's go." Boy Wonder ordered and they all scrambled into the T-ship. Just as it was about to enter the water a large section of the ceiling collapsed on top of it, pinning them inside. Superman, wearing a suit made of some silvery metal, descended through the hole, and marched on them.

"Safe room." Beast Boy gulped, just as the T-ship section he was in was sliced from the rest of the vessel. Cringing, he was relieved when a momentary cold enveloped him, and the door of the safe room appeared.

"Suggestions?" Robin asked. "He can't see us in here, but he'll just take the building apart until he finds us."

The shape shifter glanced around the room that'd been designed to protect Raven from Trigon. "Do we really have the option of running?" He asked, appearing to be deep in thought.

"Dude." Cyborg lifted his green-skinned friend up to eye level. "This is Superman. What else can we do?" He demanded.

The boy, whose feet were no longer touching the ground, tried to shrug. "Just thinking that Adonis was going to have Cinderblock attack an elementary school, so what might he've ordered Superman to do?"

"Oh." The cybernetic teen let his friend drop back to the ground.

"Good thinking." Robin said, almost in a monotone as he looked around, obviously considering possible strategies. "We can't run." He admitted a few seconds later.

"Friends, while I am Tamaranean, and will follow you into battle, this is one we cannot win. Should I sing us the song of a valiant death?"

"He has weaknesses Star." Beast Boy said, glancing at the door with a gulp. "We know kryptonite is one. Are there other?"

Robin hesitated. "There are." He admitted with a deep sigh, clearly hesitant to say more. "He's been influenced before, and turned evil. After that he shared some of those weaknesses with Batman just in case it happened again and he had to be stopped."

"Well?" Cyborg demanded, staring at the leader who despite the situation was still reluctant to share such secrets.

"He draws his power from the sun, so if he goes too long without sunlight he'll become weak. The light of a red sun, or maybe it's just krypton's home star, will weaken him. He's also vulnerable to magic." The boy cringed, forcing himself to spill the secrets he'd been entrusted with. "Raven, you might be our best hope."

The violet-eyed girl merely nodded, and went to work considering what she might use against the man of steel.

"How long without sunlight?" Beast Boy asked, looking thoughtful. "That suit Adonis made him to protect against kryptonite would block the sun."

"Not sure." Boy Wonder admitted. "And some of the sun's energy would be getting through the suit. It might not weaken him."

The shape shifter nodded. "It's not even a real suit." He added. "It's more like he was dipped in a pool of molten steel or something, and it was allowed to cool. It has holes for his eyes, but it means he can only see what's directly in front of him. He can't see to the side, and it's the same with the ears. There're only two small holes. He won't be able to hear as good. "

"So if Raven can just keep out of view and hit him with magic ..." The leader nodded. "Any other ideas?"

If there were, they were cut short as the safe room trembled, and the door was plied open The silvery head of the man of steel peered in, and those beams of light lashed out at them again. Beast Boy felt pain in his stomach, followed by the coolness of Raven teleporting them. Then the tower roof came into view around them.

"Are you okay?" The violet-eyed girl asked, not bothering to hide the panic in her voice.

"Fine." He shifted, getting rid of the hole that'd been punched through his stomach.

"Useful." Boy Wonder noted, glancing around. "Where did the blood go?"

"It was a part of me, so when I changed forms it vanished."

The masked leader opened his mouth to say something else, but the shaking of the building caused him to gulp. "Okay, let's do this." He said a second later in a firm voice.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." Raven intoned, and when the man of steel ripped his way though the roof she lashed out with a giant fist of dark magic. Striking her foe, he was knocked at least three hundred feet out to sea. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." The violet-eyed girl recited again, and when he sped towards them she used the massive hand to grab him.

"That should hold him for a while." Robin said. "Or maybe not..."

Superman broke through the barrier of black magic with ease, and turning back towards them, those beams of light shot forth again. They stuck Beast Boy, ripping into his chest. The shape shifter dropped to the ground, rolling to dodge any more attacks. Reforming his body he created a form that was half human, and half cheetah. Splicing in the gene from hummingbirds that sped his thinking processes, he saw time around him slow down to a crawl.

"That suit keeps my magic from touching his flesh." Raven intoned, eyes still focused on the enemy though she desperately wanted to look at Beast Boy.

"Damn." Robin gulped. He glanced towards the shape shifter.

"I'm fine." The boy growled, sporting a humanoid, cat-like form. He yelped when those beams reached out for him again, but he'd already noted the way Superman telegraphed the move with a sight pause, obviously needing to focus for a split second to generate the laser-like beams. Twisting, the shape shifter avoided them by mere inches. "Why is he targeting only me?" He asked, snarling the words as he desperately leapt to one side.

Not taking time to answer the obvious, Raven recited her mantra again, and tried to grab their foe in another fist of dark magic. Seeing it coming, he merely moved to one side at supersonic speed. When the hand turned to follow him he moved again. _By Azar, stay still. _Raven fumed. She saw starbolts rise to strike at the man of steel, but those he sidestepped as well.

"Adonis sent him Beast Boy, and he has a grudge against you." Robin answered the question. "How long can you keep healing?" He asked.

"As many times as I can shape shift." He hopped to one side as the beams came at him again. "So quite a few times, but not forever."

"Oh." Boy Wonder frowned.

"My cannon is useless." Cyborg growled. "He's not even bothering to dodge it." The disgruntled boy raised the weapon again, and fired another blast of sonic energy.

The shape shifter kept his eyes on their foe, reading his moves and dodging the attacks. With Raven forcing the man of steel to move every second or so, the task was a lot easier. "Why isn't Adonis talking through him?" He growled the question, jumping to one side as another energy beam lashed down to wreak havoc on the roof.

"He can't." Raven intoned. "Controlling someone who's good is harder. He probably just did the ritual, and told him to kill us." She nearly cursed when their foe avoided her hand of dark magic again.

"Oh."

Seeing her starbolts were worthless from a distance, Starfire rose into the air to strike at close range. The man of steel suddenly flashed forward, and his fist caught her in the stomach. There was a spray of blood, and the orange-skinned Tamaranean fell to the rocks below.

"Star." Robin cried, anguish in his voice.

Beast Boy gulped, realizing that having had their foe focused entirely on him had been a good thing. The others weren't able to heal wounds in an instant.

"I can sense her. She's alive." Raven intoned. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She then recited, reinforcing the fist of dark magic she wielded. Focusing, she tried to make it move faster.

More beams came at him, and the shape shifter moved with fluid agility, avoiding them. Then he saw their enemy focus for another attack, but it wasn't him it was aimed at. "Raven." The warning roared from his half-human, half-cat throat as he gracefully reached out and yanked her away from the deadly attack that shattered the floor beneath her.

Going a little pale, Raven frowned. Her concentration had been disrupted, as well as the dark hand of magic she'd been using. "Septem specula. Septem imagines. Septem cogitationes. Fiat virtute." She chanted, and seven reflections rose to surround her. Immediately another blast of energy struck one of them. It wavered, yet reformed when the attack faded. _If he were to strike them with his fists encased in that steel they would fade. _She silently mused. _But not if he uses his own power. _"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She then intoned, and the hand of magic reformed. Around her the images were struck with repeated attacks, yet held. Knowing where she was by scent, Beast Boy would occasionally whirl in and pull her out of the way when the beams reached out for her. Focusing, she went on the offensive again. It proved as futile as before.

Seeing that attacking from a distance was going nowhere, Superman landed on the roof. Letting his eyes drift over his foes, he moved forward to strike at one of the images Raven had conjured. Just as she'd expected it faded, having been destroyed.

Nearly blurring from sight, the man of steel lashed out, quickly destroying three more of the images before he came to Raven. But by having focused on the illusions he'd stayed in one spot too long, and a black barrier of dark magic rose to surround him. He struck it twice, and it held. Looking around, the man peered at the roof beneath his feet. Their foe vanished from view as he ripped his way down through it.

Raven frowned, wanting to curse. The impact of all that power on the shield had kept her from finishing turning the barrier into a complete sphere. "Septem specula. Septem imagines. Septem cogitationes. Fiat virtute." She intoned with a frown, and the four destroyed reflections reformed. When the man of steel appeared again, having smashed his way back up through the roof, he was knocked back down by a giant black fist. She manged to repeat that twice more before their foe evaded it, and stood facing her.

Several explosive discs struck the man of steel, but those he just ignored. When the blast of a sonic cannon struck him he didn't even hesitate. Reaching down, he tore chunks from the roof, and in machine-gun fashion started to send them towards Raven and her images.

Not having time to pull her out of the way, Beast Boy leapt in, and took the impact. Moving at supersonic speed, it shattered his ribs, crushed his lungs, and broke his spine in a dozen places. The energy in the projectile then threw him back into Raven sending them both crashing to the roof. When the shape shifter reformed his body and stood, he saw Raven was bleeding badly and wasn't moving.

When their foe reached down to rip up more projectiles, the green-skinned Titan realized he had no time to check on her, only to attack. Flashing forward, his speed actually manged to take the man of steel by surprise. His claws, enhanced by his power, lashed forward to rip three-inch deep gashes into the silvery suit his foe wore. He blinked for an instant as realization struck him. Unfortunately that pause also left Superman enough time to react, and strike out. His fist punched clear through the shape shifter, sending him flying.

Becoming a falcon for an instant, Beast Boy dropped back to the roof. _My body is my domain, and I can't project power outside of it. _The boy thought, frowning_. But my power is still that of a demon, it's magic and can harm him. My claws can rip his flesh._

Suddenly turning aside from the shape shifter, the man of steel struck at Cyborg who was aiming his sonic cannon for maybe the fiftieth time of the battle. The titanium-clad Titan went flying across the roof, stopping only when he brought up against the wall around its edge. The attack was immediately followed by another as Superman turned to lash out at Robin with more laser-like beams from his eyes. Boy Wonder dropped low, and managed to take it on his titanium-reinforced cape, but still didn't rise when the onslaught ended.

The shape shifter gulped, realizing he was the last Titan standing. Worry tore at him, and he desperately wanted to check Raven, yet knew better than to take his eyes from a foe who so clearly outclassed him. Becoming a Cheetion, he enhanced the form with genes that slowed time for him, and extra-strong bones. Leaping forward, it didn't come as a surprise to the boy when the man of steel merely reach out, and grabbed him by the neck before lifting him up in the air. That super-strong hand then closed around his throat, collapsing it.

He'd known his speed was no match for his foe, and hadn't expected much more than to be smashed aside, or to be overwhelmed by some massive show of strength. Held as was now, close to the body of his enemy, the position was perfect. Ignoring the fact that he could no longer breathe, the shape shifted went to work with his powerful hind legs. Pouring as much power as he could into his claws, they glowed with a black aura, and tore brutally into his foe's armor. Slicing through mere steel with ease, the razor-sharp weapons enhanced by the power of a demon, found the flesh beneath and shredded it. Moving with a cheetah's enhanced reflexes, those legs thrashed against his foe seven times before he was tossed away.

Beast Boy shifted his form, healing his crushed throat, and raced forward to strike at his foe again. The hand that struck him moved faster than the speed of sound, and easily punched clear through his body, yet once again he was close to the man of steel, and once again he went to work with his claws. A fraction of a second later he was tossed to one side, but not before those claws had ripped into his enemy's flesh four more times. Landing brutally on the roof he shifted, and as before, rose to charge the man of steel only to find he'd taken to the air.

The shape shifter studied the damage he'd done with calculating eyes. The suit that would've protected his foe from kryptonite was half gone. If they'd had any, now would've been a good time to use it. On the other hand, the savage wounds he'd ripped into the man of steel's flesh had already healed. He gulped nervously, and felt a twinge of despair which he savagely pushed to one side. Then, reaching inside, he sensed his own power and gratefully found that his reserves were in no danger of running low. Standing, Beast Boy paced the roof growling. Any form he had that could take to the air would be easy prey to his super-strong opponent who could moves faster than the speed of sound. Frowning, he watched as Adonis' minion used his hand to tear away the remnants of steel that covered his face.

The hurricane force wind that came was as cold as the arctic, and should've froze the shape shifter solid, but recalling Kishar's lesson he poured his power into his blood, and faced the onslaught. Cautiously he allowed it to blow him away from his friends so they wouldn't get hurt, and then he dug his claws into the roof. Letting the freezing cold blast over him, he howled his fury back at the man of steel.

A black shield rose to block the arctic gale, and Raven slowly stood. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." The bleeding girl intoned in a firm and loud voice, chanting her mantra. "Coelo audieritis imperio, voluntatis a vinculo ligare et fulgura meis invocabo." The words followed the mantra, and the heavens burst into fury, striking down with several blasts of lightning that seemed to move like ropes, attempting to ensnare the man of steel.

For a while it seemed like he was safely trapped, yet as a hero their foe had faced many challenges and wasn't one to easily give up. Slowly, the brightly glowing bonds that trapped him were snapped, and he stood free.

"Coelo audieritis imperio, voluntatis a vinculo ligare et fulgura meis invocabo." The half-demon girl chanted again, and once more the heavens struck forth. Only this time, knowing what to expect, the man of steel tore loose a piece of his armor and flung it skyward. Drawn to the metal, the spell wasted their fury on it.

Beast Boy studied his foe, wondering if what he was about to dare was possible. Kishar has said it was, but that he was too young to try, too inexperienced. Touching the source of his power he tried to shift his own flesh to match that of his enemy's. His bones broke with an audible snap, and his legiments painfully tore while his muscles stretched and ripped in sheer agony, yet slowly the form started to take shape. Should he manage it then he would be able to face Adonis' minion in the sky on his own ground. He would be able to use power in his attacks, while he himself would be nearly invulnerable. The transformation was nearly complete, with only seconds to go, when the shape shifter realized that hubris had led him to make an awful mistake. To take on the form of a sentient being required orders of more power than that of a mere animal, and while he would one day be capable of it, that day wasn't today. Reaching his limit, the boy dropped to the roof, too weak even to stand.

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." Raven intoned, reaching out to try to capture their enemy with a hand of dark magic. Still, the man of steel stubbornly refused to cooperate. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." The girl chanted again, and a second hand joined the first. When a blast of laser-like red light came at her, she used one to block, even as she used the other to attack. It drained her faster than she cared to admit, yet it kept her safe, and offered some hope of capturing Adonis's minion. _At least he's forced back, and isn't able to injure us either. _She noted with some satisfaction. Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire were injured, but she could sense them, and knew they were alive. She and Beast Boy were managing to hold their own against one of the leagues most power superheroes, despite trying to capture him while he was trying to kill them, and in that she felt a sense of pride. That pride faded when the next blast of energy came not at her, but at Beast Boy who was behind her. She heard him yelp in pain, and there was the smell of burnt flesh.

"BB?" Raven yelled, daring a glance behind her to see that he wasn't moving, and that his wounds were critical. "No." She screamed in disbelief, held still by shock for a second, only automatically blocking the next attack that came at her. "No." She cried again, recalling the way they'd just sat and held hands for hours that morning, only having just admitted the way they felt about each other. _It can't be over. _The half-demon thought, feeling despair. Then within her rose Rage, and she no longer cared to capture the 'man' who'd killed her best friend, the one who she'd planned to spend a life with. That she couldn't even go to try to heal him because of the 'pest' that mocked her from the sky drove the fury she felt, and the half-demon girl ceased looking quite so human.

Four red eyes tracked the 'man' who'd dared to hurt the one she loved. Before, in her mind, the rumors and myths around this person had made him appear to be a god, but he wasn't that. She on the other hand was a demon ... Fast as thought, driven by grief and fury, she reached into the sky with her soulself, and by will alone brought them both into the tower where her portal to Nevermore lay. Holding the killer within her power she stepped into the mirror.

Cast loose from her power the 'man' appeared confused, and briefly looked up to where the sun should be. While the sky was yellow, there was no star here to feed his power. His eyes turned back towards Rage, and he moved to attack. With contempt she blocked him. This 'man' was no god, but here she was.

"Haec est mea. Ecce ego regnabo. Hic ego sum Dominus. Tolles forma mea voluntate. Imago animi virtute partum, et eam rem." The four-eyed demon girl roared out in a dark and thunderous voice, causing the whole of her domain to change at her will. Beneath them the ground flowed molten before turning from pink to green, and started to glow. Above them the yellow of the sky was ripped asunder to be replaced by a large red sun that only dimly lit the land. Caught between the kryptonite beneath his feet, and the sun of krypton above him, the 'man' sank to the ground.

The demon fled Nevermore, leaving the killer behind in the hell that she'd created for him. Returning to the roof she knelt beside the one she loved, praying for a miracle. When the shattered and burnt form not only continued to breathe, but began to twist and turn with what remained of his bones cracking and reknitting, she felt both fear and hope. When the yellow-haired boy took form beneath her gaze she knew she had her miracle, and that her power wasn't needed here. Briefly she let it touch him, noting that he was merely sleeping. Tears escaped her four eyes. The boy was exhausted to a point that she found hard to fathom, but her love was alive.

She cast her mind out, seeking the most injured of her friends, and Starfire appeared before her. The fist that would've punched through a foot of titanium had cracked the girl's ribs and collapsed a lung. A fragment from those shattered ribs lay in her heart, and the Tamaranean was at the brink of death. But the demon poured forth her power and while she didn't have the reserves to heal all the wounds, the girl ceased to be near death.

Next Rage checked Robin. He was badly burned across his back, but in no danger. Briefly she let her power trickle out to speed the healing, but only a trickle. Then came Cyborg whose titanium armor was bent and buckled, but it had served its purpose of protecting the man within. Otherwise, his only injury was a severe concussion that once again she sent forth her power to fix. Despite being near collapse from exhausting her own reserves she fully healed his damaged brain, not willing to take chances.

The four glowing-red eyes faded, and Raven briefly stood before collapsing across Beast Boy. Through her weariness she could still sense the strong and steady beat of his heart, and she knew contentment; her love would live.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Of course if Superman really wanted to wipe them out, he could've just dropped a mountain on them. In some version he could even move whole planets; now that is what you call overpowered.

"Septem specula. Septem imagines. Septem cogitationes. Fiat virtute." _**Translates as: **_"Seven mirrors. Seven images. Seven reflections. By my power let it be so."

"Coelo audieritis imperio, voluntatis a vinculo ligare et fulgura meis invocabo." _**Translates as: **_"Skies heed my command, by my will I call on the lightnings to bind and chain my enemies."

"Haec est mea. Ecce ego regnabo. Hic ego sum Dominus. Tolles forma mea voluntate. Imago animi virtute partum, et eam rem." _**Translates as: **_"This is my domain. Here I rule. Here I am God. By my will you shall take form. By my power I create the image in my mind, and make it real."

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	18. Chapter 18

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_The daggers Beast Boy can make would be a crystallized form of his essence. They would be magical, and would have the power to hurt Superman, but they wouldn't be kryptonite. In truth, I forgot he could do that, so let's just assume that in the heat of the battle Beast Boy did as well. As a cat he would've had four to five claws on each foot that he would be very adept at wielding. And at six hundred pounds each claw would normally be as deadly as any daggers he could make. Still, there are ways he might've used them against Superman that would've changed aspects of the fight. Yikes, if the man of steel returns, he'd better be careful. Perhaps when he's older and wiser he'll be able to alter what they're made of, but not for this story. The same goes for altering what a part of his body is made off. If there's a creature on some world with bones made of titanium then he might one day be able to make use of that and use such bones for all his form, but not for this story. But then, I'm just making things up as I go along, so who knows what will happen. :)_

* * *

_**Aftermath,... Waking Up,... The Briefing,... Nevermore,... The Question,...**_

Knowing that Beast Boy was safe, and that her friends would be okay, Raven pushed herself up. She was no killer, at least not without sufficient provocation, and had to check on the man of steel. Too exhausted to teleport the girl walked to her room, finding paths around the considerable destruction. It seemed that when Superman was given a task he was more than capable of making a mess. Eventually she made it to the mirror and stepped inside. To her shock their enemy, who'd seem so indestructible, was close to death. His skin was a sickly color, and only her demonic powers allowed her to sense the life that remained in him. Quickly, after removing what remained of Trigon's mark from his chest, she used a little of her power to lift him, and teleported them from the hell that she'd made for him

When the roof appeared the half-demon girl staggered, and dropped to her knees, no longer able to stand. But there was one last thing that needed to be done before she could allow herself to rest. Reaching out to touch their ex-foe she started to chant. "Tredecim et tria, quae a me minutes. Oblivisci, quod inde non repetam. Haec mando virtute." Now she collapsed, stretched prone on the roof. However, there'd been no way she would let the Justice League know more of her secrets than she had to. They saw the daughter of Trigon as a danger, and if need be wouldn't hesitate to use anything they had against her. The spell would remove thirty-nine minutes of Superman's memories, including all that he'd seen of Nevermore. In his weakened state there was no way he could resist it even if magic hadn't been one of his weaknesses.

Wearily, not lifting her head from the rough surface of the roof, Raven looked around. Seeing Beast Boy just a few feet away, she slowly crawled to him, nearly blacking out from the effort. When she was finally close enough, she reached out to intertwine her fingers with his. Then, letting the exhaustion take her, she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Vaguely she was aware of the comfort of a soft bed, and the air conditioning that cooled the air. For a while the violet-eyed girl was content to rest, able to sense Beast Boy a mere foot away. Reaching out she touched him again, and smiled; his pulse was strong and clearly he would be okay.

"You're awake?" A familiar voice softly asked, and she opened her eyes to see Cyborg sitting in a nearby chair. There was a table beside him filled with tools. It would seem he'd been keeping watch over them while he repaired his damaged systems

"I am. Just don't ask me to do much. For that matter don't even ask me to move." She let her head drift back against the pillow. Changing the whole of Nevermore in an instant had taken more power than Rage had thought it would, but all that mattered was that it'd worked. "Where's Robin?" She mumbled through her pillow.

"Talking with Batman and Stargirl. They arrived to help us fight Superman." The boy grinned at her. "Just what happened to him anyway? Whatever it was, it was worse than kryptonite. He's been exposed to that before and usually recovered within seconds of having it removed. But it's been over two hours now and he only just woke up around ten minutes ago. It seems he don't have any memory of what happened once he knocked me and Robin out."

"Does it matter? We won." Slowly she counted her boyfriend's pulse to ... The girl blinked, smiling a little. _Okay, that's what I want, but we haven't quite tied that knot yet. One of us has to ask the other to make it formal._

"Friends, I am sorry." A downcast voice filled with shame spoke from across the room.

"Why Star?" Cyborg asked, walking over to check on the girl.

"I am Tamaranean, yet I failed to stand by your side. I was the first to fall in battle."

"Only because he hit you first." The cybernetic teen countered. "When he hit me I fell just as fast. The same with Robin."

"Is friend Robin okay?" There was a quaver in the girl's voice.

"He's fine. A minor burn that'll heal in no time. Seems Raven did some patching up when the fight was over."

"Thank you friend Raven." There was a slight pause. "And thank you for healing my wounds."

"No problem Starfire." The violet-eyed girl replied, too tired to turn her head to look at her friend.

"You fought with everything you had Star." Beast Boy's weary voice joined in the conversation. "Unlike me, you made no mistakes." His eyes sought out Raven's. "I'm sorry I left you to fight him alone. I was stupid, and tried something that I shouldn't have."

"I thought you'd died." Now her own voice wavered, and there were tears in her eyes. "I thought I'd lost you." She tightened her grip on his hand.

"I'm sorry." The boy said again. "I was just exhausted. I used all my power trying a trick that didn't work. When it failed I had nothing left. I'm so sorry Raven." He clenched his teeth, trying not to humiliate himself. He'd been worried about her, knowing she was alone. Now tears of relief and shame threatened to overwhelm him.

"You were nearly sliced in two. If you hadn't healed your own wounds then I wouldn't have been able to ..." The violet-eyed girl shuddered, unable to control the trembling fit that overtook her.

"You didn't need to worry. I was never in any danger."

"What? But?" Raven wasn't sure whether to believe him or not.

"I was out of energy, but even if I were to stop breathing, it would take a while for my body to die. During that time it would gather enough power for at least one shape shift which would then heal any wounds. Unless something literally tore me apart I would still be okay." The shape shifter frowned, and could no longer hold back his tears. "I'm sorry I left you alone Raven." The remorseful Titan wept. "I'm sorry I failed you."

Shocked at the anguish the boy radiated, Raven gently rubbed her thumb over the back of the his hand. "You destroyed the suit he wore, which made it easier for me." She told him comfortingly. "And the runes on his chest where nearly gone. That weakened the hold Adonis had over him, and also made it easier for me. If you hadn't then ..." She gulped and closed her eyes. _If he hadn't then I wouldn't have had enough power left over to heal Starfire, and she would've die. Nor would've I've been able to get Superman back out of that hell. He would've died. _"You saved our lives; you saved the team." She told him honestly, still crying herself.

"Okay Enough of that." Cyborg loudly interrupt them. "I mean, we won, so why are you all crying?" He looked at Raven, clearly disturbed to see the normally impassive girl weeping uncontrollably. "And you don't want Robin to see you like that?" He turned towards Starfire who still looked downcast. "Do you?" He carefully kept his eyes averted from Beast Boy's.

* * *

"Okay team." Robin's voice carried through the room, as did a rather strong breeze through a gaping hole in the outer wall. "It seems we got through that okay, but we need a plan for capturing Adonis." The boy looked around the room and sighed, looking rather glum. "But first I need to apologize. I'm sorry I wasn't of any help in the fight. I didn't think fast enough, or act quick enough. I'm sorry. I never expected we would ever have to fight someone like Superman, and I didn't prepare. I'm sorry." He turned to gaze out through the hole at the sunset, unable to face them.

"I'm sorry..." Raven started.

Cyborg banged his head on the table they were sitting at, cracking it. "Would you all stop with the sorry this and the sorry that." He begged. "We won. If anyone should be sorry it's me." He looked at the hole in the wall with a deep sigh. "After all, I'm the one who has to fix this mess."

The violet-eyed girl blinked, and then smiled, realizing how much she loved her family. "I'm sorry." She started again, daring anyone to interrupt her. "I thought Adonis would show himself with maybe a golem or two as backup." She shrugged. "Actually I doubted he would even do that. He's too egotistical to want to share the glory of taking us down. I never expected he would actually manage to get control of someone like Superman."

"Not your fault." Robin said. "You told us what spells he learned, and what they could do. We all thought the same, that he would try the same lame stunts as before, and that we would capture him. That he would be able to use what he got from you so effectively wasn't something any of us considered. I certainly didn't."

"I blame video games." Beast Boy said. "What?" He asked when everyone looked at him. "Clearly that suit of his requires some pretty high-tech skills. I bet he plays a lot of computer games." The boy shrugged. "He might've even played a mage once or twice, or at least learned a thing or two when they toasted him."

"I see." Raven intoned with her violet eyes twinkling in amusement. "We're fighting someone who learned arcane skills from video games, so of course he's beating us black and blue."

* * *

The meeting was adjourned with little having been settled. Adonis was still free, and while they knew he was a bigger threat than expected they still had no way of catching him, or even knowing if he was in Jump City. That he could've gained control of Superman was disturbing. It meant they no longer had to watch out just for villains he'd mind-controlled, but also superheroes. Someone like Batman could walk right into the Tower and be welcomed as friend, just before he stabbed them in the back. Other than becoming paranoid they had no idea how to guard against something like that. Memories of Terra came to mind, and none of them had been smiling when such possibilities had been suggested.

Robin had pointed out that the first two attacks had been brute force, and how even if he hadn't been the one personally attacking that was still Adonis' style. But given his failure their leader had wondered if the villain might try something new. That had silenced them for a few seconds as they'd considered what 'the drugger,' as Starfire called him, might come up with next. If he were to take control of someone like Madame Rouge, and use her as an assassin to pick them off one-by-one then it could be deadly.

Beast Boy had then pointed out how little of his full strength Superman had used. That if Adonis were to have suggested it, the man of steel might've just ripped the entire city from the ground and cast it into the sun. That again, had silenced them for a few seconds.

* * *

Pondering the results of the meeting Raven entered Nevermore. Cringing she looked around, knowing she would have to one day put things back to the way they'd been before. _But not today. _The girl decided, barely able to walk let alone change an entire dimension. The ground beneath her feet was actually kryptonite. When Rage had commanded it, that was what it had in reality become. The red sun above her on the other hand was just a fake, yet the man of steel would've perceived it as real. Once again, that was what Rage had commanded.

"Good job." The violet-eyed girl told the red-clad emoticlone who was sitting beside the doll of Beast Boy that'd been left unharmed.

The four-eyed girl shrugged, just looking into the distance. Beside her Timid was huddled beneath her robe, clearly not liking the changes.

"I'll put things back the way they were." Raven promised the trembling girl who had her eyes closed. "We've used too much energy to do it now, but in a few day's." Then, with a sigh, unable to bear the misery on the girl's face, the empath bent down and closed her eyes. Slowly, a small stone hut took shape. Immediately the gray-clad emoticlone rushed inside. A second later, her hand reached out to grab hold of the bottom of that Azar forsaken doll Rage had made.

Once again looking around, Raven noticed that the trees hadn't changed. They were still that awful pink, while Happy was clearly checking each one to make sure they were okay.

"So, have you thought of a good punishment for Adonis like I asked?" The blue-clad girl sat down with a relieved sigh. Hard as the ground was, it was better than standing.

"She's come up with the perfect punishment." Knowledge replied. "She ran it by me, and I think she's outdone herself."

"I see." Raven said, pondering the words. It wasn't often that Rage received praise from that particular emoticlone.

"I agree." Rude burped. "Even I couldn't come up with anything better."

"Before I would've thought it too harsh." Affection murmured. "But seeing BB and our friends hurt like that, I've changed my mind. It's perfect."

"I tried to suggest some changes." Brave added. "But they talked me out of it. What Rage came up with actually is perfect. Much better than putting him in here so I can beat him up each day." She glanced at the red-clad emoticlone with obvious respect. "It's even better than putting him in with Trigon." She said in awe.

"I see." Raven said again, smiling.

* * *

"Hey Cy, you busy?" Beast Boy asked his friend.

The cybernetic teen, who obviously was busy, looked at him in disbelief. "I have a hundred and thirty-seven holes in the outer wall to patch before it rains. I have five-hundred and ninety-seven in the inner walls after that. I have the security system to fix after it was thrashed when Superman made all those holes. I have the T-car to fix if I want transportation the next time a villain shows. The T-ship need repairs if we want to go anywhere other than the city. I have to scan for signs of Adonis from the satellite system. I have to fix my own systems. I have to ..." The boy sighed. "One day I have to learn how Billy Numerous makes those clones."

"Sorry." Beast Boy said, watching as his friend tried to hold a half-ton sheet of steel in place with one hand while he tried to weld it with the other. Repairs were usually left to the titanium-clad Titan who had an unsurpassed knowledge of mechanics and such, but he had to admit this was a bit much.

"And no. You can't help." Cyborg said, suddenly staring at the boy in a panic.

"I know I usually make things worse." The shape shifter said. "But I can at least hold the heavy stuff while you do the work." He merged his human self with that of the beast, enhancing its bones and muscles. Reaching for the steel sheet, he held it in place. "I'll try not to mess up." He growled through his half-human throat.

"You can speak?" The frightened Titan asked, taking his hand away from the steel sheet with a nervous gulp.

"Half human, so yeah."

"Oh." Shaking, the cybernetic boy who was a few shades too pale, went to work welding the sheet in place.

"I'll try not to mess up." Beast Boy growled again, realizing just how terrified his friend was. "I mean, what the worse that can happen? It's not like I'm going to knock the entire tower down."

"Don't." Cyborg yelped, turning even whiter. "Please don't jinx us like that." He begged.

"Sorry."

"So what was it you wanted?" The cybernetic teen lit the welding torch again, and went to work.

"I was wondering, what sort of place do you think Raven would like to go to on a date?"

"Ra..." He turned off the torch again. "You mean as in if you were to ask her on a date, and she were to say yes?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. She likes cafes if they're creepy."

Beast Boy blinked, having expected his friend to burst out laughing or crack a joke. When the titanium-clad teen didn't, he let out a sigh of relief. "I thought of that, and even planned a date like that back when I first started liking her. But after Mark, or Adonis, or whoever, I thought she might be a bit wary of cafes when it came to dates."

"Oh. You're right. Perhaps later, but you don't want to remind her of that creep on a first date." He motioned for the shape shifter to pick another sheet of steel.

"There're scary movies." Beast Boy said, picking up the steel sheet and holding it in place. "But that's a bit to cliche?"

"As far as I know, neither Jonathan or Mark took her to a movie. It might be perfect. Just make sure it's something she likes."

"I know that much." The shape shifter replied.

"Wish I did on my first date." Cyborg said with a sigh. "I took a girl to a movie about monster trucks, and then spent a month wondering why she refused to date me again.

* * *

End of Chapter.

"Tredecim et tria, quae a me minutes. Oblivisci, quod inde non repetam. Haec mando virtute." _**Translates as:**_ Thirteen times three, those minutes I take. Forget them, and never recall again what has passed. This by my power I command.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	19. Chapter 19

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_I'm sure after spending time in a whole dimension made of kryptonite, with Krypton's sun overhead, Superman has too much of a headache to do construction work. He's probably still weak and would trip or something and bring the whole Tower down. He might even need a trip to the sun to recharge his batteries._

_Given what Raven put him and Robin through when Beast Boy was gone, I doubt Cyborg would want to kid about something like that. Plus he already knows Raven likes Beast Boy._

_So many ideas. What if the Justice League does send an investigation team... Hrm._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Will the Tower Stand,... The Question,... Crumbling Tower,... An Ally of Adonis Shows,...**_

Beast Boy awoke to find that despite having helped Cyborg with the repairs the Tower was still standing. _Not that I was worried. _He told himself with some satisfaction as he stood, only to hear a loud thunderous roar and feel the building shudder. "Okay. So I was worried." The boy yelped, wondering what to do. It took the panicked shape shifter a few seconds to realize that rain was pelting against the window, and the roar actually was thunder. Mixed in with hurricane force winds it looked like a day to stay inside.

He went through his usual morning routine of exercises, followed by a shower, before standing to stare out through the window. _Okay, so no date today. _The boy mused with mixed feelings. On one hand he was excited, while on the other he was fearful the girl of his dreams would say no, or that the date would turn out horrible. With a small sigh he turned and left the room. A villain he could handle, but when it came to Raven his stomach was often nothing but butterflies.

Heading to the practice room he found Robin busy throwing various dummies around. Standing back for a few seconds, the boy watched his leader's quick movements as he tossed fake foe after fake foe over his shoulder, or smashed them aside with a bo staff.

"Morning." Boy Wonder gasped, rushing forward to give three robotic villains a headache.

"Morning." Beast Boy replied. "You can throw a disc or a birdarang, but do you know how to throw a knife?"

"Of course. Why?" The leader of the Titans leapt aside from an attack, and struck back with his bo staff, sending another would be villain to robot nirvana. Turning, he brought the last foe to the ground with a black disc. Seeing only he and Beast Boy were left standing, he paused, panting.

"I was thinking about the fight with Superman." The shape shifter explained, knowing the others would've given it some thought as well. After fighting a new villain that was what they all did. Usually they would also discuss it as a group, but he considered that unlikely in this case.

"Oh?"

Beast Boy held out his hand and focused. Slowly a black dagger appeared. "When he was in the air I couldn't fight him. Anything I had would've been ripped apart in a second. But if I knew how to throw a knife." He sighed. "Of course it would still have been futile since there's no way I could've thrown it fast enough to hit him, but at least it would've been something. Who know, perhaps I might've distracted him at a critical instant, and Raven might've caught him."

"I see. You don't know how to throw a knife at all?"

"As a kid I was pretty good, however turning green changed all that. Mento tried to teach me, but since I couldn't hold a knife properly things just didn't work out. I can now though."

* * *

Raven woke to the sound of the wind howling, finding she liked it just fine. While villains did sometimes try to use the cover of a storm to cause mischief, they usually voted to stay safe and sound in their lairs. Going through her own morning routine of exercises, meditation, and a shower she then wandered down to the commons room.

"Waffles?" Beast Boy asked, seeing the girl stroll in.

"Sure." She took a chair and sat back to watch him cook. Focusing her emphatic senses, she bathed in the luxurious warmth that radiated from the shape shifter. Here she knew she was more than just welcomed, she was loved. _How could I've been so blind. _She wondered, closing her eyes and smiling.

Feeling the slightest touch of the girl's soulself reaching out to embrace him, Beast Boy smiled as well. "That works both ways you know?" He told her.

"Huh?" She opened her eyes.

"When you touch me like that, it opens a link. It means I can also feel what you do."

"Oh." Raven blushed, but didn't withdraw her power. If he wanted to, she knew the boy could block her.

"You going to create another ward today?" He flipped several waffles onto a plate which he slid in front of her with a bottle of maple syrup.

"Yeah. Until Adonis is taken care of I have to. Even after that I think I'll make around one a week." The half-demon girl smiled viciously. "It won't be much, but titanium will last a long time, and those wards might still be around when Trigon sires the next Portal. Maybe she'll be able to make use of them."

"Cool." Through the link he could feel her genuine desire to help those who would come after her. "Mind if I join you when you meditate?"

"Sure." She dug into the waffles.

"Want to watch a movie sometime?" A voice squeaked.

"Hrm. Movie night? Sure. Whose turn is it to pick?" She usually read a book, but enjoyed the company.

"I mean, go out to a movie." The boy gulped, feeling a little light-headed.

Raven frozen. "As in a date?" She asked with her heart racing, while butterflies ran wild in her stomach.

"Yeah." Beast Boy told her with a sigh of relief, already knowing the answer through the link they shared.

"Would love to." She smiled, and the boy smiled back. Across the table their fingers intertwined and they slowly ate, devouring the waffles, but only aware of each other.

With their plates empty, time passed and still they continued to gazed at each other with silly smiles. When a slight breeze started blowing through the room, neither of them cared. When the breeze grew in strength, and they slowly grew wet from the rain that lashed around them, they still didn't move. In their own little world everything was perfect, and they saw no need to pay attention to the little details.

* * *

"Idiots." Cyborg cried out, frantically rushing in to push the alarm. "Can't you see Billy Numerous is stealing the tower from around us?"

"Huh?" Beast Boy came out of the trance to find he was in the middle of a hurricane.

Raven blinked, looking at the devastation that surrounded them. "Interesting." She intoned.

"Hey folks." A jovial voice yelled out. "The H.I.V.E. Five sort of got washed out. Hope y'all don't mind if I borrow a few things. We need to build a new lair."

"Go somewhere else." Cyborg retorted, using his sonic cannon to send one Billy Numerous clone flying.

"Hey. Is that any way to treat neighbours?" Chorused four hundred voices as one.

Shifting into a Cheetion with enhanced bones, Beast Boy also spliced in the gene from hummingbirds that sped his thought processes. Silently, he went to work striking at his numerous foes. Watching them move in slow motion, he would strike one on the head with his paw, and then jump away before they could clobber him with numbers. Using the form to its utmost potential meant it overheated in just seconds, but when that happened the boy just shifted, removing the fatigue.

Cyborg fired up his sonic cannon again, rendering another of the seemingly endless supply of targets unconscious. Then fifty of them piled on top of him, and the titanium-clad Titan disappeared from sight.

Robin managed to down eight in quick succession with electric discs before they surrounded him. The leader tried to jump over them to escape, but they were layered ten deep around him, and one super-strong hand reached up to pull the boy down. Like the cybernetic teen before him, he too disappeared from sight.

Starfire took to the air, flying more than two-hundred feet above the ground. She smote the red-clad villains with starbolts, causing their forms to shudder and vanish as they were reabsorbed by the others. When she saw Robin become overwhelmed she swooped down to rescue him, only to be also pulled down into the squirming mass of Billy Numerous clones.

_Ten seconds into the fight and already we're down to two. _Raven silently intoned. _We actually did better against Superman. _Focusing she sent a fragment of her soulself into a steel beam that'd been ripped from the tower, and went to work. Once, by her guess, the number of duplicates the red-clad villain could create had been around two hundred. Over time that'd increased to four hundred. Staying safe, high in the storm, she pounded them one by one. After whalloping the fifth clone on the head, the steel beam was ripped from her control as at least twenty of the cheerful looters grabbed it. Knowing better than to descend into the pandemonium below, the girl merely choose another weapon to possess, and went to work with it. When a bolt of lightning exploded seemingly just feet away, she yelped, and sank a bit lower, fearfully eyeing the chaos that lay above as well as that below.

Beast Boy whirled on his feet, moving with an agility and speed that the clones could never hope to match. With a paw that moved faster than the eye could follow he struck at his prey, and then casually use his super-fast thought processes to single out another target. Racing around, never staying still, he frantically tried to keep them from overwhelming him with their numbers, Meanwhile each one he knocked unconscious vanished as they were absorbed by the others.

Eventually, as was inevitable, several did manage to tackle him. Without hesitation, the shape shifter became a cross between an elephant and a cheetah, thrashing them aside before more could pile on him. Once again a Cheetion, he then continued the high-speed assault. That happened twice more during the fight, but the ten-ton combination of elephant and cheetah always got him free.

Slowly the numbers dwindles as even the one-man army was itself overwhelmed by brute force on the ground, and dark magic from the skies.

Cyborg pushed himself free from the twenty or so clones that remained on top of him, and went to work with his cannon. Starfire, with ample use of starbolts, pulled Boy Wonder free. She ascended into the sky to continue her own bombardment, while the rescued boy went to work with electric discs once again. Then the number of foes surged, becoming at least five hundred, and then just as quickly they vanished with a snapping sound as they were reabsorbed back into Billy Numerous who sank to the ground in shock.

Beast Boy eyed the downed villain with satisfaction. Before his time with Kishar, he would've been one of the first ones that would've been dogpiled. With his numbers and his super strength, the red-clad criminal could easily bring down even a t-rex. Returning to his human form, the boy grinned, happy to know that he was no longer the weak link within the team, and that he had a place here where he did belong.

* * *

The damage to the tower looked a lot worse than it actually was. The attack had left a few hundred sheets of steel ripped from the outer wall, along with a few beams. Taken mostly from the lower sections the rain that blew through the gaping holes ran down through a drain, leaving most of the electronics intact. Cyborg and Starfire went to work welding, while Beast Boy and Raven held the sheets of metal in place. In no time at all the wall facing the storm was repaired.

Just as the team moved to the next wall they got a phone call. It seemed someone in a red suit had grabbed Billy Numerous while he was being transported to prison.

To say the least, neither of them was happy.

"We only just made it easy for him." Cyborg growled.

"Yeah." Boy Wonder fumed. "If we hadn't knocked him out, Billy Numerous would've been more than a match for Adonis."

"He got four hundred minions, or whatever you want to call them, for the price of one." The violet-eye girl intoned the words, yet somehow managed to convey utter fury.

"Do we search?" Beast Boy asked.

Looking at the storm the leader gave it some thought. "We do." He decided. "Cyborg, Raven, and I will take our T-ship modules and search from the air. Starfire can fly so she doesn't need one." He looked towards Beast Boy.

"I'll try to pick up the scent from the ground." The shape shifter said. "It's a long shot, but even a storm like this doesn't wipe out all traces."

"Keep your communicators on at ALL times." Boy Wonder ordered. "We'll never be more than a few seconds from each other, but be careful." He gave them a stern look, making sure they understood.

* * *

Merging the form a grizzly with that of a polar bear, Beast Boy went to work. Sure it was storming out, and the rain was pouring from the heavens like it was the end of the world, but traces would remain. A grizzly could find prey even underwater, while a polar bear could smell a seal through three feet of ice. In the right conditions, the latter could even detect some scents across a hundred miles. If Adonis had hoped the storm would hide him, he was sadly mistaken.

Ignoring the winds that tore at him, Beast Boy arrived at the overturned truck where Billy Numerous had been kidnapped, and started sniffing.. Immediately he found some remnants of the villain's scent, and lumbered forward, quickly tracking it. The rest of the team formed a circled around him, combing the ground from the air as best they could.

The trail led through a section of forest that at places showed signs of broken branches, and even once in a while, the watery remains of giant foot prints. The massive bear continued its task eagerly, already plotting how it would hurt the egotistical villain, and drool formed around its jaws that it did nothing about. The fight that was to come was one it anticipated with savage glee.

* * *

"Titans. We have an emergency." Robin suddenly exclaimed with a hint of panic that carried over the communicator. "There're explosions in the city. We need to get there asap."

"Some are in schools." Cyborg interrupted, clearly shocked.

"Don't do anything rash, Beast Boy." Robin ordered. "Just head for the city at whatever speed you can."

The shape shifter growled an affirmative.

"Too much of coincidence." Raven intoned. "It's either a trap to get BB alone, or a distraction to give Adonis a chance to escape."

"Agree. Friend Raven." Starfire chimed in. "One of us should stay with friend Beast Boy."

There was a pause before Robin spoke again. "There're elementary schools on fire, Star. We need to get there now."

"Oh." The Tamaranean said. "I am sorry friend Beast Boy."

Becoming human, the shape shifter spoke into the communicator. "For goodness sakes just go." He ordered. "I'll make my way there as fast as possible."

"Titans. Go." Robin commanded.

Thinking, Beast Boy became a Cheetion. It was quite capable of running at eighty or ninety miles per hour, and could cover the distance to the city in just minutes despite the wind and rain. Streaking through the forest he felt a premonition of dread, and came to a sudden stop. He sniffed the air and a twinge of fear took hold of him for the wind carried a new scent; Malchior. The shape shifter considered this, forcing the panic that arose within him back to its proper place. His time with Kishar had made him stronger and faster than he'd ever hoped to be. Cut him in two, and he could heal the wound. Rip off his arms, and it was just a matter of shifting. Tear out his heart and his lungs, and he would still live should he simply change forms. But he wasn't unkillable; he wasn't indestructible. The terrible and ancient power that was quickly descending upon him used fire, and if he was burnt to a crisp, then ... The boy gulped nervously, and turned to face the great dragon.

* * *

End of Chapter.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	20. Chapter 20

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

* * *

_**Malchior,...**_

The shape shifter calmly considered his options, and pulled out the T-communciator. Setting the device only to transmit to Robin, he sent the 'Titan in need of assistance' call. If Starfire were to learn of his situation she might turn back to help him, while Cyborg would be thinking of him and not whatever foe he might face at the burning schools. Their leader, on the other hand, would do whatever had to be done regardless the cost to him personally. He would see to it the children were safe, and then rush back. Raven, he knew, would help the children, but should he die the guilt would kill her. _Which means no dying. _The boy told himself. Furrowing his brows, he awaited the great dragon. There was too much wind for him to fly, and even if there hadn't been, he couldn't outrun Malchior. He might try to hide, but against someone who was telepathic that would just end in failure.

"Not running? Insect." A dark voice boomed out, and the form of his deadly adversary took shape, effortlessly descending through the howling storm.

"Would it do me any good?" Beast Boy studied his foe, squinting his eyes against the wind.

"Looking for something?" Malchior asked, showing his teeth with a small burst of flame.

"There's no sign of Trigon's mark on you, but it's too much of a coincidence that you would show up now." The boy said, almost intoning the words much as Raven would.

"Did you really think an arrogant pest such as Adonis could bend me to his will?"

"No. But that doesn't explain why you're working with him." The shape shifter replied, letting a hint of confusion show.

"Power. Why else?" The great dragon flapped his wings, and the gusts it generated rivaled that of the hurricane. "This is my true form, yet at times I am nothing but a human made of paper." The malevolent beast snarled in dark fury. "Paper burns, and I am a creature of fire. It's not merely insulting, it's unthinkable."

"Should Trigon escape you're in the same boat as the rest of us." Beast Boy pointed out.

"I stood unaging for a thousand years in that book before I was freed." The great beast peered down with a bone-chilling stare. "What does that tell you?"

"Let me guess. Not mortal." The green-skinned Titan sighed, taking a step back.

"Right. That fool Adonis will end when he frees the great demon Trigon, but I shall not. Yet in return for my aid my full glory shall be restored."

"I see." Beast Boy tried to keep the fear from his voice. "So you're actually trying to free Trigon?"

"Of course. That's the bargain I made with him. But Adonis is obsessed with destroying the Titans, and I have a score to settle with you as well." The beast grinned maliciously. "Now that I no longer need the witch to release me from my curse I am free to wreck whatever vengeance I wish upon the lot of you." He inhaled, and then breathed forth fire that washed over the land in a wave.

Seeing his foe start to inhale, the shape shifter took the form of a Cheetion again. It was fast and nimble, yet large enough that it might last for a second within the dragon's fire before being roasted alive. Turning, he raced away, knowing it was already too late. The cataclysm that erupted around him was nothing like he recalled from the first time he'd fought the dragon. Trees didn't just burst into flames, they exploded as the water within them became steam, sending fragments of their remains across the landscape. The ground wasn't just scorched of vegetation, but in places actually briefly glowed red, almost turning molten. In desperation, the panicked boy raced from the inferno.

"You're still alive." Malchior mused when the onslaught ended, sounding impressed.

_Yikes. _Was all the shape shifter could think, healing his wounds. "Is that power from Trigon as well?" He asked, hoping to delay the next attack.

"No. That was a little gift from Adonis." The dragon replied, disdainfully eyeing the creature that crawled in the dust beneath him. "He found a ring some time ago that had a rune. The stupid fool lost it, but he recalled the inscription, which I then translated." He tilted his left wing, showing where symbols had been inscribed on it. "It gives me ten times the power I once had."

"But only at ten years for each minute ... Oh. Right... What would you care about that, being immortal and all."

"Useful." Malchior grinned. "How something such as this could've been on this world, and escaped me for so long is puzzling." The great beast inhaled again.

Ready this time, Beast Boy streaked away, yet there was no avoiding those deadly flames. The devastation they wrought was more than a hundred feet wide, and the path they followed was carefully plotted by the dragon whose neck was immensely flexible. Able to twist in any direction, it allowed the fearsome beast to direct his wrath at the fleeing boy with incredible speed and accuracy regardless of which way his prey fled. With his flesh burning, all the shaper could do was avoid the center of the fury that would've incinerated him in an instant. When it ended, he shifted to renew his body, knowing it'd been close.

"Annoying pest." Now the dragon sounded truly amused. "Why doesn't the power a dragon's flame with its magic and fire burn you to ash?"

"Magic?" Beast Boy blinked.

"Of course. Mere flame is nothing compared to my breath. Why aren't you dead?" Malchior rose on his hind legs, and inhaled deeply.

Pure destruction reached out for the green-skinned Titan who once again ran for his life. _Magic? _The word echoed in the boy's mind, and he recalled some of what Kishar had taught him. There were wards against various forms of magic that she'd made him study. _Against fire they're useless. _The shape shifter frantically thought, twisting to one side as he felt his fur being burned off, followed by layers of skin. _But if part of his power is magic then ... _Beast Boy reached inside, and focused some of his own essence into his skin. Crystallizing it, he used it to inscribe ancient hieroglyphs on his flesh. He stilled burned alive within the inferno, but the fire no longer carried the same destruction it once had.

"As a pest, you're fun to toy with." Malchior spoke several seconds later. "Let's try again. It's pleasing to watch you squirm like a worm." The fearsome beast laughed darkly, and inhaled.

Even as he raced desperately away, the shape shifter studied his situation. The breath of the great dragon was at its core a dazzling white, tinted by what looked like black smoke. Surrounding it were various shades of less intense white fire, also possessing the same hint of something dark within it. In all, that part of the inferno was about fifteen feet wide, and were it to touch him then he knew he would be turned to ash, ward or no ward. However, when it hit the ground it spread out in a wave that was more than a hundred feet across. Within that part of the holocaust his flesh burned, but it didn't kill instantly. There, with the help of the wards, he could outlast the dragonfire, and then heal his badly charred body.

With every cell in agony the shape shifter ran, twisting and turning. His lungs ceased to exist after the first few seconds, incinerated by the flame he inhaled, and only determination drove him. Fortunately the onslaught only lasted thirty seconds before his dark and malevolent foe had to inhale for another breath. During that time he healed, and kept running.

"A pest who can handle dragonfire. I've never seen the like." The great beast roared with a snarl, twisting its head to hurl more destruction.

_I can't keep this up forever. _Beast Boy thought just as the center of the dragon's breath struck a boulder which exploded, sending shrapnel at him. Staggering, his left side touched the core of that monster's fiery attack, and his hind leg vanished. Unable to move, the blazing inferno washed over the fear-stricken boy. Frantically, he shifted even as his body was burned to ash, and took on the form of a blue whale. At a hundred and thirty tons it was also a hundred feet in length. The destruction ripped into the massive form, badly burning it, yet at the end it still lived. Becoming a Cheetion again, the shape shifter raced away.

Malchior laughed with dark glee. "That was fun to see, and delicious to smell. If you were to die in that form there would be enough meat for me to feast on." He inhaled again.

_I haven't struck back once. _Beast Boy fumed. _He's going to kill me, and I won't even leave a mark on him. _Twisting around, he tried to armor his flesh against the fire, but the same thing happened as when he'd tried it with Kishar. To cover his whole body he would exhaust his power in seconds. Growling, he struggled to stay alive, and sought some way to strike back.

When his foe paused to inhale again, the green-skinned Titan took the chance to rush close, and formed a knife. Becoming a combination of human and cheetah, he enhanced his muscles and threw. It flashed forward, vanishing from human perception as it hit more than three hundred miles per hour. It shattered, but to the boy's surprise, a tiny trickle of blood ran from the dragon.

"You actually hurt me." The great beast roared in disbelief.

Beast Boy stared, wondering why he himself was so surprised. "That knife was as sharp as anything could possibly be." He stated. "It's edge was just a molecule thick, and it was stronger than diamond. Yet it just pricked you."

"The hide of a dragon is enhanced by magic, and is stronger than steel. That you actually drew blood, however little, is an amazing feat." Malchior paused. "You I shall remember. Appreciate that, for in my mind you shall never die."

"Enhanced by magic?" The boy's lips twitched a little. "I see." He then paused as well. "I guess that's a form of immortality of sort. To never be forgotten. I shall strive to make sure you keep that promise." When the dragon inhaled, he raced away with his mind no longer clouded by the power of the foe he faced. Even as the boy frantically dodged the fire that could kill him, he plotted his next attack.

When the wave of destruction ended, the shape shifter formed not a knife, but a shard. On it was etched the same rune that he now wore on his own flesh to counter some of the dragonfire. Once again becoming a combination of cheetah and human he raced in as close as he dared, knowing the time he had was limited by that in which it took his massive foe to inhale. It didn't allow for much action on his part, however, clenching the blade in a hand that bleed from its mystically-sharpened edge, he let fly. The ward allowed it to penetrate his foe's magically enhanced hide, and with no handle to bring it to a halt, it vanished inside the creature. A single drop of blood fell to the ground before the tiny cut healed.

"You adapt." The great dragon roared in malicious glee. "But how long can you survive my fire?" It grinned a malevolent grin and inhaled. Run little pest, and make this one of the rare fights that will be worth remembering. Over the ages there've been so few. But know this, I am a creature of magic, and the weapons you use are magic. I absorb their power." It's head bowed down to peer at the boy. "You merely feed me."

"Well, that sucks." Beast Boy muttered, turning to run. But the flames were already upon him, and in desperation he became a blue whale to ride out the blazing inferno that carved his flesh. Even as the fire consumed him, he realized the form could hold long enough to allow him to shift, so that was what he did. With more than half his mass turned to ash, he reformed the body of the great whale, praying the dragon didn't strike for his head. An arm or leg was one thing, but his brain was something else entirely. Even as he burned, the boy planned his next strike and, with great reluctance, wondered what it would be like to kill.

The shard the shape shifter formed this time was hollow, and had two indentations in it. In the space of an instant he became a combination of inland taipan snake and human. Biting down on the dagger, he once again became a merged form of cheetah and human. The dagger slipped through his foe's armored hide with ease, yet did nothing.

"You feed me yet again. You should know that's why we dragon hoard things of magic. We rest beside them and absorb their power. Inside me the blades you create dissolves, and the essence you used to forge them becomes mine. Why try that trick again?"

"I know that now." The shape shifter replied, taking care the that great dragon couldn't see into his thoughts. "But I have no other way to strike back."

"I'm disappointed that your only weapon empowers me." The great dragon sighed sorrowfully, exhaling a blast of pure destruction again.

He raced from the wave of hellfire, tired of feeling his flesh burn and tired of the agony of having his lungs incinerated when he tried to breathe. Beast Boy wasn't sure how long the battle had lasted, just that when he touched the source of his power he found it was running low. He wasn't merely shifting, but at times using his essence as armor to help survive the flames. On top of that he was creating knives and wards. The drain was incredible.

Still, when the flames wavered and vanished, the shape shifter turned once again to strike at his foe. Creating another hollow shard he filled it with the venom of the inland taipan snake, and shifted to the human and cheetah form to throw it. Staggering from the effort, he then became a Cheetion to race for his life as the inferno washed over him.

So it continued. For more times than Beast Boy could recall, the great dragon sought to reduce him to ash, and he ran for his life. Twice, despite becoming very adept at remaining within the outer edge of the deadly flames, he was forced to become a blue whale whose flesh burned even as he repeatedly shifted to stay alive. It was also an unknown number of times that he thew hollow shards formed of his essence. Each time, filled with the venom of an inland taipan snake, it penetrated his foe's flesh, yet seemed to do no harm.

With his power nearly gone the shape shifter focused on staying alive. Maybe twice more he could avoid death, but certainly not another three times. He wobbled, and fought to stay on his feet.

"Hhooww muuchh loongerr caann yoouu eevaaddee mmeee?" Malchior slurred with a vicious glint in his dark eyes.

Beast Boy noticed the way the great beast spoke, and wondered if just maybe... Even as something within his heart wept, the boy sighed in relief when the great dragon stumbled and tried to inhale for another attack, only to stagger once again. His fearsome foe shook its massive head while a tremor ran the length of its reptile-like body.

"Wwhaatts wwrong wwittth meeee?" The dragon pondered, dropping to all four before collapsing to the ground.

Beast Boy followed suit, letting his weariness carry him to the scorched earth that was still hot enough to burn. He didn't care, knowing that he had to rest or that he would collapse as well. An inland taipan snake could kill more than a hundred men in a single bite. He'd placed at least three to four times that in each shard he'd thrown, and yet despite the dozen or so, or perhaps more, that he'd thrown the great beast had shown no signs of the poison. Yet now it seemed it'd finally taken affect.

With fear in his heart, the shape shifter saw the dragon's eyes close. _I'm about to become a killer. _He realized, wanting to weep, yet no tears came. With a shudder of his own, he continued to watch. Then before his startled eyes, the body of the dragon shrunk, and slowly became paper. In his human form, the dragon Malchior rose from the ground.

"What did you do?" The man demanded.

The green-skinned Titan blinked. _Paper? _He thought. _Poison._ He blinked again._ Poison won't affect something made of paper. "_Like I would tell you." He pushed himself from the ground, knowing the fight wasn't over, and glad of it. He hadn't killed, even if that was what he'd plotted.

"I can make you." The eyes of the creature who now stood in human form glowed.

Feeling something in his mind, the boy drew what remained of his essence into a shield around it, and sent imaginary shards of his energy at the foe who dared to intrude. While he couldn't project power, he could defend what was his. The malicious presence retreated.

"The witch taught you some magic." Malchior said, clearly astonished. "The fight isn't over." Lowering his head, he began to chant.

Not willing to give his foe a chance to launch the first attack this time around, Beast Boy became a cross between a cheetah and a human. Wearily enhancing the form with the genes for extra muscles, and the attribute of a hummingbird that speed his thought processes, he attacked.

His foe still wore the rune that gave him incredible strength, and which also seemed to aid his endurance, but speed wasn't his fort. The shape shifter dancing around him and aimed where the hieroglyph was inscribed on his arm, striking deep with power in his attack. The offending symbol vanished, and Malchior screamed in pain and rage.

_Now the fight is over. _Beast Boy thought, swiftly attacking before his foe could call on any of his spells. Two seconds later the man formed from the pages of a book dropped to the ground.

Beast Boy sank to the charred earth, and pulled out the T-communicator, cancelling the 'Titan in distress' call. He then sent a text message asking for someone to pick up the vanquished dark dragon called Malchior. Stretching out among the cooling, wet ashes, the shape shifter stared blindly up into the storm, recalling that their original target had been Adonis, and that he was still out there somewhere. But at the moment his limbs felt so weak that he knew even standing was beyond him. Instead, he just closed his eyes and waited.

* * *

End of Chapter.

A longer battle scene than I'd planned. But Beast Boy did get to make use of those knives of his.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	21. Chapter 21

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_What a corner I've written myself into... School in session during a hurricane? Doubt it._

* * *

_**Briefing,... Nevermore,... Guilt,... More Guilt,... The Next Step,...**_

The blue-clad empath sat beside the shape shifter, watching him from the corner of her eye. When she'd seen him laying on the ruined earth with cold, wet ashes slowly covering his unmoving body she'd nearly freaked out. The relief when she'd shook him, and those emerald-green eyes of his had wearily opened was... The girl suppressed a slight tremble, and worked to calm her emotions. Not only had the boy been all right, but with help he'd even staggered to his feet and became a bear once again. Adonis' trail had ended less than two miles from that spot near a well-used highway. Since that time she hadn't left his side.

"Okay." Robin's voice carried through the room. "Let's start." He looked towards Beast Boy. "While you seem to be okay, I want you to sleep in the infirmary tonight so we can keep an eye on you?"

"Sure." The shape shifter yawned, wanting nothing more than to slump forward and sleep.

"Good." The leader turned to speak to the room as a whole. "We got lucky. If we hadn't been in the middle of a storm ..." He gulped, looking pale.

"We can be grateful that the city has pretty high standards when it comes to building schools." Cyborg took over. "Of course there were no classes, but during weather like this many of the children who attend them take shelter there along with their families. It makes sense. Some of them live in places that are pretty old, and aren't safe in a hurricane. When the issue came up in council ten years ago the city decided to kill two birds with one stone. The schools were upgraded, and during extreme weather they act as shelters."

The boy glanced at their leader before continuing. "Malchior must've heard Adonis was in trouble, and set the fires to draw us away. Given he was in a hurry he would've hit them from a distance, but it still tore off the upper floor on each of them. If they'd been ordinary buildings, or if he'd taken the time to get in closer, they would've been totaled." He turned a little pale, and visibly shuddered before speaking again. "Thankfully, due to the wind, the people sheltering in the schools were mostly on the lower floors. And with the way they were built, plus the rain, the fires didn't have a chance to spread. I can only call it a miracle, but while the city is on the hook for several million dollars no one got hurt."

"We weren't needed there." Raven intoned. "If we've stayed and helped BB ..."

"But there was no way of knowing that." Beast Boy interrupted her, giving the girl a small smile. "And with children involved there was no way we could've risked it."

The empath frowned. "I know." She admitted with clear reluctance, looking slightly perplexed. _But I don't understand it. He's the most important thing in the world to me, so how can anything possibly take precedence over him? Yet we both know the children had to come first. _With a barely perceptible sigh she fought to calm the turmoil that raged within her.

"There is a bright side to this." Robin said.

"Oh?" Raven intoned, glancing at him.

"The poison Beast Boy used was still in Malchior in his paper form. Until it decays he can't become a dragon or it'll kill him."

The lips of the half-demon girl twisted up in a smirk. "That must make him happy." She intoned darkly, knowing Rage was cackling in glee.

"I don't think happy even begins to describe it." Cyborg answered for their leader. "The Justice League decided to take him, and they plan to make sure that he always has enough sedatives in him to put him asleep if he transforms. Now that we know how to stop it, he won't be changing into a dragon for a very long time."

"Good. But why did the Justice League take an interest in him?" Raven asked, failing to keep the distaste out of her voice.

"They could see the fight from space, and the fire burned more than a dozen square miles of forest. That, plus the fact he deliberately targeted more than a thousand children."

"Oh."

"I do believe this is what you call poetic justice." Starfire said, beaming a smile. "But I do wish they had let me speak to him first." Her eyes glowed, and except for Raven the rest of the Titans gulped.

"That's nice." Beast Boy said, glad the villain would put away for a long time. Yawning and slapping himself a few times to keep awake, he considered his talk with the dragon. "I really don't want to see him ever again, let alone fight him. But have you given any thought to what he told me?"

"I have." Robin said in tone that was suddenly ice cold. "Malchior was actively trying to release Trigon, and we can only assume Adonis is as well."

"He can't." Raven told them. "He would need a Gem for that, and I'm the only one around."

"So he'll be coming after you." Cyborg stated. He looked down to check on his sonic cannon, while Robin's hand reached down to the satchel he carried.

"Or help Trigon sire another." Beast Boy pointed out, growling.

"It would take her years to grow up." The half-demon girl intoned with a frown. "And I doubt Adonis is the patient type."

"Then we must protect friend Raven." Starfire stated firmly. "No rushing off to throw your life away this time or I shall ..." Her eyes glowed in warning.

"I have no plans to do that." The violet-eyed girl told the Tamaranean, suppressing a nervous gulp.

* * *

Raven entered Nevermore with a slight frown. "How's it going?" She immediately asked knowledge.

"Okay. But some parts of the spell just won't come together." The yellow-clad girl scratched her forehead in frustration with a bright-yellow pencil. A gift from Raven so she could plan their vengeance on Adonis, it allowed her to write in her book.

"Oh." She took the book and studied what her emoticlone had written. While the details for the spell were very specific and carefully written, the margins of the pages were covered in a number of tiny hearts with the letters 'BB' inscribe in them. Blinking, she looked at the yellow-clad girl who blushed.

"Should I think of something for Malchior?" Rage asked.

"I think the fact that he'll probably never be a dragon again is torment enough." Raven answered, grinning demonically at the red-clad emoticlone who grinned back with a look that was just as demonic.

"Destroying someone's greatest dream is pretty vindictive." Affection spoke softly with a smile. "But it's very fitting, and as Starfire said, it's poetic justice. He was willing to destroy the world in order to reclaim his right as a dragon, and in return that is what he lost. But ..." She sighed, and her smile disappeared. "I'm supposed to be forgiving. Vengeance isn't supposed to be in my nature."

"Adonis hurt us badly, and violated our mind." Knowledge told her. "It's only right that we feel some anger and desire justice. As for Malchior." She closed her eyes and snarled, showing her half-demon nature. "BB burned in that flame of his for so long that I wish nothing more than to see him suffer as well."

"Hate and anger, those are my nature, and what you feel comes from me." Rage said with a careless shrug. "But I'm not some monster who feels those things without reason. We were violated by Adonis worse than if he'd actually raped us, and Malchior tortured the one we love the most. We are justified in what we feel."

"Agreed." Raven stated. "But ..." She sighed. "I hate being full of such darkness. I wish only to spend time with BB and enjoy my life. This feels too much like the feelings of Trigon. We can't let it become hate for the sake of hate."

The red-clad emoticlone was quiet for a while. "That's all I wish too." She admitted, nearly sounding human. "He soothes us, and I like that. I wish nothing to do with Trigon and the darkness that dwells within him. Much as I hate to say it, there are limits to what we can rightly do. Malchior is being suitably punished so while we shall hate him, we shall not plot against him. Adonis will be suitably punished as well, and then we shall forget him. We mustn't be corrupted into hate for the sake of hate else Trigon wins."

The empath nodded. "I have some thinking to do." She said with a far-a-way look in her eyes.

"The spell?" Knowledge asked.

"The number three has power, but remember powers of three have even more power." Raven told her, handing back the pencil.

Standing to leave, the violet-eyed girl first looked at the sky, and willing it, turned it back to its original bright and cheerful yellow. "I'll add the clouds later." She told Happy. _Maybe the way Nevermore was with its pink trees and pink grass and pink clouds and pink ... _She gulped. _I thought I hated it, but it was soothing, and we need to change it back as soon as possible. The cold place it is now only engenders that which is negative. It reminds us of a dead world where once a proud people lived. It's not good for us.  
_

* * *

Beast Boy poked his head into the evidence room where their leader often seemed to live.

"The way you looked I thought you would be resting." Robin greeted him with a serious smile, dropping a paper that had the word 'SLADE' written on it in large, blood-red letters.

"You know, I'm running on zero, and I need sleep like crazy, but I just can't."

"Why?"

"Am I still a Titan?"

"Huh?" Robin looked confused. "Why wouldn't you be?"

"With the poison you know I had to be trying to kill Malchior, yet Titans don't kill."

The spiky-haired boy stared back for a few seconds, and then motioned his friend in. "Let's talk Batman." He said.

"Batman" The shape shifter repeated, perplexed.

"And the Joker." The leader said, frowning. "Do you know how many people that lunatic has killed?"

"No." Beast Boy replied with a frown of his own. "Just that it's too many."

"I knew a few of them. Each time he kills I have dreams where I kill him, and so many times I've craved nothing more than to feel his neck between my hands. If it ever comes down to killing him to save an innocent, I'll do it in an instant." He shrugged. "But I won't murder him. That's what Batman taught me."

"What's the difference?"

"If he had a gun and was seconds from killing, then I would act first. If that meant I _had _to kill him, then so be it. That isn't murder. But if I could capture him, and _chose_ to kill, then it would be murder. That he always goes free isn't the fault of Batman, though I know for a fact that it causes him nightmares as well."

"Oh?"

Boy Wonder shrugged. "Out there it was you and Malchior, and you did what you had to in order to survive. If you'd been _forced _to kill him during the fight it would've been self-defense, and I wouldn't have blinked an eye. What I would've done was make sure you had someone to talk to about it, and that it didn't scar you." The boy rubbed his head, and for a second seemed to be peering in the past. "However." He continued, giving the boy a dead serious stare. "If he'd been _subdued_, and you'd _killed_ him, then I wouldn't have rested until you were behind bars."

"Oh?" The shape shifter noted a sense of weariness from the leader that rivaled his own. "He might still escape again, and he might kill."

"I know. But if we exceed our duty, then we're killers. We would be monsters like him. We just capture villains, and then let the law take over. That it fails so often isn't on us."

"There was no innocent there this time." Beast Boy pointed out. "It was just me and him, and I can't even claim that I was protecting a teammate."

"Sure there was. As far I know, you've never killed anyone, and probably never even stole. To me Beast Boy, you would be an innocent as would Cy, Star, and Raven. Being a Titan doesn't change that, and it doesn't give someone the right to try to kill you. In a fight to the death I much prefer you come out of it alive and not some heartless killer." The boy shrugged. "And there was a teammate there."

"Oh?" The shape shifter looked perplexed.

"You're my teammate, and you were there. Tell me, if Raven had been an instant from death, and you'd killed to save her, would you feel guilt over it?"

"No." The boy replied instantly. "If the only was to protect her was to kill then I would."

"And if you could protect her by subduing the villain?"

"Then that's what I would do. It would hurt her to know I killed on her behalf when it wasn't necessary."

The leader of the Titans nodded. "Then you know the law we go by."

"Oh. Thanks for the talk. I guess I should rest." The green-skinned boy wavered on his feet for a second, and turned to leave.

"Beast Boy."

"Yeah?" He turned and blinked, noticing his leaders piercing, steel-blue eyes.

"You're a Titan, and I still trust you. Just remember the rule, Titans don't kill means we don't murder, but we do protect ourselves and each other. As vigilantes we may bend the law, but we _never_ break it."

"The boy nodded and smiled. "I know the difference now. Thanks." Turning away once again, he left with the knowledge that he was still a Titan, while behind him his leader put his mask back on.

Knowing sleep would help replenish the gaping hole inside where his power should lay, Beast Boy went to the infirmary and crawled onto a cot. Within seconds he was sound asleep. Minutes later a violet-eyed girl silently crept in, and pulled a chair close to sit beside him, keeping guard. Despite the fact the boy was so tired that not even the apocalypse would wake him, her reign of terror instilled absolute silence throughout the tower. With a notebook in her lap she started to write, though every few seconds she would glance at the soundly sleeping form with the hint of a smile.

* * *

"Quiet." Raven intoned in a whisper when Cyborg poked his head in.

"I just wanted to know ..." He went silent as dark power briefly covered his mouth.

"Quieter." The half-demon girl growled a quiet warning.

"I just wanted to know if he was having nightmares." The frightened boy replied. "Robin asked me to check on him."

"Oh." She glanced the softly snoring boy. "He's been sleeping pretty peacefully."

"Thanks." The cybernetic teen rushed away.

"What was that about?" The sleeping form stirred, sitting up.

"He was just checking on you." Raven replied. "Did I wake you?"

"No." He looked through the wall as if he could see through it. "There're several seagulls making a racket just outside." He explained.

"Oh. How are you feeling?"

"Okay. Not a hundred percent, but I'm not in danger of collapsing anymore."

"Good." She intoned, watching him with her heart racing.

"What're you writing." Beast Boy asked, looking at the notepad the girl held.

"Just something." Raven intoned, giving a small shrug. She handed it to the shape shifter who read it.

_To Superman (Justice League)_

_Fr Raven (Titans)_

_Over the last few days I've been thinking about the fight where Adonis gained control of you, and have come to realize that I didn't play fair. A while ago that same villain used drugs to gain access to my mind, and stole secrets that I'd been entrusted with. It was in no way a pleasant experience; in fact I think it was worse than if he'd used the drugs to assault me physically._

_That brings to mind what I did to you at the end of the fight. I acted only to guard those same secrets, along with others, yet in doing so I perpetrated almost the same crime as Adonis did; I violated the mind of another. I say almost because while I did remove thirty-nine minutes of your memories, I took nothing. I did not seek any confidentialities with which you were entrusted, nor any information of a private nature, but merely made sure that those of my own that had been revealed during the fight remained safe._

_Yet, in retrospect, I realize that I went too far. Despite my dislike for the Justice League you yourself have always protected the world from which I originated. As you know, Earth is not my birth world any more than it's yours, yet, like you, it's the place I now call home. Even if not friends, we're allies in that cause. That which I did to you is unforgivable, and is a crime I have never before committed even against villains, let alone a fellow defender of the world and the people who I love._

_While I refuse to open my mind to any of the Justice League telepaths, I offer you the chance to question me, and make sure that your secrets are safe. Even if not allowed within my mind, there are those who can assure you I speak the truth._

_My sincere apologies._

_Raven_

"I see." Beast Boy handed the letter back. "I can see that point of view. If anyone were to invade my mind against my will I would be incensed." He furrowed his brow, recalling the secrets that he himself guarded. There were not just those of the Doom Patrol and the Titans, but those of Kishar herself. "Actually, I would be beyond incensed." He admitted.

"I did go too far." Raven intoned, glancing at the letter. "At the time I wasn't thinking, and merely acted to protect myself. I might still have done it, but it would still have been wrong, and I would still have to apologize."

"You didn't erase my and Cyborg's minds when we wandered into Nevermore." Beast Boy said, sounding curious.

The violet-eyed girl shrugged. "I decided to trust you." She gave the barest hint of a smile. "I had been alone for so long, and despite the fact that you learned I was less than human, that I carried a monster inside me, you still trusted me and helped me. I was grateful."

"Oh."

Looking at the boy with a slight grin, the violet-eyed girl felt the sense of contentment that he always created with her, and recalled that while she'd had three boyfriends, he'd had zero girlfriends; that if she wanted to take things a step further then it might be up to her to take the lead. "So no movie today." She sighed, recalling the date he'd asked her out on.

"Sorry." Beast Boy replied, things sort of got pretty hectic. He smiled at her with a helpless shrug.

"I see. But I still demand an apology."

"I'm sorry..." A finger against his lips silenced him.

"Words just aren't going to cut it Beast Boy." She softly intoned with fake anger, and leaned in to gently kiss him on the lips, cupping his cheek in her hand.

For a second his eyes went wide, then he closed them and decided that today was in fact a great day.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Taking off his mask was for Robin the ultimate gesture to show how much he trusts and respects Beast Boy.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	22. Chapter 22

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Time: A week later._

* * *

_**The News,... The Meeting,... Superman and Zatanna,... The Fear,... Sitting Together,...**_

For Beast Boy the last seven days had been as close to heaven as he'd ever come. There'd been a fairly steep learning curve, but he now understood that the same instincts that'd guided him around the violet-eyed girl for so long still worked. Just as he'd once listened to her voice when he made a lame joke, and took his cue from there on whether to 'bicker' with her, or leave her alone, he now took his cue from the way her eyes either twinkled, or looked disinterested. Usually it was the former, but when it was the latter he knew enough to let sleeping demons lie.

"Morning." He greet the girl who was slowly devouring a pile of waffles. "I see Cyborg is up and around."

"He is. His waffles are almost as good as yours, but only almost." Her eyes didn't waver from the book that floated in front of her.

"I see." Keeping his eyes on her, he gently placed one finger on her chin. When her lips turned up in a barely perceptible smile, and her eyes twinkled, he gently tilted her head before leaning down to give her a good morning kiss. Telegraphing his moves he'd learned was important. While she now seemed to like touching, it amplified her empathic senses, and she needed a little warning to prepare. To the girl he imagined being kissed without that forewarning would feel more like a psychological slap than a gesture of affection.

"Mmm." She sighed in contentment. "Love those."

"Me too." The ecstatic boy said, grinning.

"Morning friend Raven, morning friend Beast Boy." A bouncy Starfire cheerfully greeted them. "You have a letter today, friend Raven."

"Morning." Beast Boy returned the redhead's joyful smile.

"Morning." Raven intoned. "A letter for me?" The violet-eyed girl took it, looking curious. Reading it, she went white.

"What's wrong?" Her boyfriend leaned down, looking concerned.

"Gulp." Was all she could managed as she turned the letter to let him read it.

"Oh. The Justice League are taking you up on your offer."

"Yeah. They'll be here today." She intoned, creating the apathetic look she often wore.

"It won't be too bad."

"Right." She quipped sarcastically.

Beast Boy gave a gentle laugh. "They're coming here." He pointed out, gently reaching out to hold her hand. "If they were going to grill you, they would've had you go to them to intimidate you rather than letting you stay here where you're more comfortable, surrounded by people who would protect you."

Raven frowned, thinking about it. "True." She admitted. "Or maybe they thought I would chicken out if I had to go to them."

"Why would the Justice League will be visiting?" Starfire asked.

"To talk to me." Intoned the still nervous blue-clad girl. "It's about the fight we had with Superman."

"Oh. We rarely have guests. Should I cook them a Tamaranean feast?" Her eyes radiated hope.

"I'm not sure ..." She gulped, wonder how the Justice League would react if two of their members were poisoned.

"Why not?" Beast Boy said. "I'm sure Superman would love an exotic meal.

"Eek." Starfire rushed off to prepare.

"Are you crazy?" Raven hissed, trying to imagine what life would be like inside a Justice League maximum security prison.

"Man of steel, remember." The shape shifter shrugged. "He's one of the few people who might not only be able to eat one of her meals, but actually enjoy it."

* * *

"There's been no sign of Adonis at all over the last week." Robin fumed, pacing the room. "Is he even in the city?"

"I would say no." Beast Boy replied. "I can track his scent from a dozen miles, and I've crisscrossed the place a dozen times. Either he's not there, or he's hiding pretty well."

"Raven has to be his target though." Cyborg pointed out. "According to Beast Boy she's the only Portal on Earth."

"What about other worlds?" Starfire asked. "The name Trigon is known in many places."

Raven considered the question. "I'm not sure if it would work on another world." She admitted.

"It wouldn't." Beast Boy told her. "I can't say more than that." He added when everyone looked at him.

"We need information." Robin told him. "If you have something of use ..."

"To sire a Portal it has to be done on Earth. To open a portal, it has to be done on Earth." He gulped, not knowing how much Kishar would want him to spill. After all, she'd kept those secrets since before humanity was born.

"But why?"

"That isn't relevant." Beast Boy told him. "But what I'm telling you is true. I suppose some place like the Moon might be close enough, but certainly not another star."

Raven frowned. "Once there was a group who worshipped him. They would've been in contact with him, and should've known everything Adonis learned. What happened to them?" She looked over at her boyfriend expecting an answer. "That's why I came here." She explained. "To find them and learn how I could stop him."

"They're dead." The shape shifter told her.

"All of them?" Robin asked. "But there were hundreds of them. Maybe thousands."

"More like thirty. They had a big impact, but that's because they had so much power. Trigon would've been guiding them, and while he's in that prison, he would still have known almost everything that happened on Earth."

"Oh." Boy Wonder gulped. "Was killing them necessary?"

"It wasn't me that killed them." Beast Boy looked around the table and sighed. "Trigon would've been able to keep them out of trouble when it came to the law, but then Azar got her hands on Raven's mother she would've been able to read her mind. That was enough to find some of the members, and those led to even more until no one would've been left. And not one of them was innocent." He turned to look at Raven. "That ritual that allowed Trigon to take human form in this world required a lot of power. There would've been dozens of sacrifices. Plus, to get into that cult you had to be a murderer. It was their test. Your mother was only allowed in without it because they wanted her for ... Well, you know."

The girl frowned. "The woman you talk about from when you were in Africa, she told you this?"

"Yeah. As I said, she knows quite a bit."

"I see." She chewed on her lip for a second before replacing her stoic look.

"I've talked to Titans East again." Robin said rubbing his head and sighing. "They're being attacked by one villain after another. If it stops then they'll be here, but until then ..." He shrugged. "I would send one of you to help them, but I don't want to break up the team. If Adonis does attacks I want us together to handle it as a group."

"What about Superman?" Raven asked. "Are you all going to be here to greet him?"

"Up to you." Boy Wonder smiled at the girl comfortingly. "If you want us there, we'll be there. Or if you wish we can make ourselves scarce while he interrogates you."

At the word 'interrogate' the girl flinched. "Please." Was all she managed to say, still keeping her expression apathetic.

"I'm sticking with you whether you like it or not." Beast Boy told her.

"Good." She flashes her boyfriend a brief smile.

* * *

"Welcome." Starfire brightly greeted the man of steel along with the strange woman at his side.

"Evening Starfire." Superman returned the greeting with a smile, while the woman said nothing.

"Would you like to try my Kirtrop Kisyiof Vaxsnip?" The orange-skinned girl asked hopefully, holding out a large bowl that contained what any normal earth person could only call a nightmare. In a pool of what looked like blood, purple and orange tentacles squirmed, emitting black ink that hissed when it hit the titanium edge of the bowl.

"Shall we Zatanna?" Superman turned to look at the woman. "By the way, this is Zatanna Zatara, and she'll be the one doing the truth spell." He told the Titans.

"What is that?" The magician backed away from the bowl that was shoved beneath her nose, turning green. "Poison?" She exclaimed, raising her hands.

"Don't be silly." The man of steel reached out to stop whatever spell she was going to cast. "I hear that Tamaranean cuisine is quite tasteful, and that Kirtrop Kisyiof Vaxsnip is a dish prepared only for honored guest." He turned back to Starfire and gave a tiny bow. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome, friend Superman." Starfire squealed.

Reaching out, the man with a steel stomach lifted one of the tentacles from the bowl, and tilting his head up, dropped it in. With his eyes closed, he spent over two minutes savoring the taste. "Delicious." He finally exclaimed, reaching out for the delicacies again. "I can see now why you're famous on your world for your cooking. This is most unique and the rumors I've heard of it doesn't do it justice." While the ecstatic girl squealed again, he let another of the squirming worm-like creatures slide down his throat.

"Are you okay?" Zatanna asked, looking green. In the color department she was matched by most of the Titans.

"Sure you don't want to try some?" He looked at his partner.

"No thanks." She squeaked, holding her nose.

"I'm your guests. I can't eat unless you join me." He looked around at the Titans.

"I'm nervous about the interrogation, and my stomach in queasy." Raven deadpanned, eyeing the bowl. Like Zatanna she wanted to hold her nose, but knew it would offend Starfire.

"Umm... My food digestion systems are on the blink." Cyborg said. It was true; he'd deliberately broke them so no one would catch him in a lie.

"I have underwater combat training after this." Robin said. "I wouldn't want to cramp up during that." Again, it was true. He'd deliberately scheduled such an event just to safeguard his stomach.

Seeing Starfire's crestfallen looked Beast Boy hide a small sigh, and reached out. "I'm a vegan, but I guess I can try one piece." He said, glad to see the Tamaranean beam him a smile. Reaching in, she too took a piece.

Superman and Starfire chowed down with obviously glee on the ... whatever it was, while Beast Boy studied his for a few seconds, wishing he hadn't. Then, fearlessly, he dropped it in his own mouth, acutely aware of the man of steel watching him.

"Chewy." The boy mumbled a second later, splicing in a gene to make his bones as well as his teeth stronger. "Very chewy." The other two were on their fifth and fourth piece before he managed to swallow. Tough as it was it didn't seem acidic, and even though it could etch titanium it didn't burn his mouth or his stomach. "Very unique." He admitted.

Starfire held out the bowl with a single thrashing tentacle left in it. "Who wants the last piece?" She asked, literally bouncing off the ground in an euphoric glee to have someone actually eat her cooking.

"I couldn't." Superman said. "I would feel bad if I took it."

Starfire turned and expectantly held the bowl out to Beast Boy. "Please." She said, eyes glowing with sheer joy.

The shape shifter took it, and went to work chewing. Fourteen minutes later, during which everyone in the room watched him, he swallowed. Superman he saw was amused, while Zatanna looked somewhat perplexed. Starfire's whole body was practically radiating a green glow of sheer bliss, while the rest of the Titans just looked green. "Lemony, with a hint of salt, and something that tastes like ..." The boy shrugged. "It's quite unique." He finished.

"Zatanna, the spell." Superman motioned to his friend.

"Okay." Replied the woman who looked queasy. Pulling out a small bag, she made a circle of salt. "Inside." She pointed to Raven who stepped in.

"Intra hunc circulum, mendacium non fallit. Intra hunc circulum, Sed non fallit. Haec mando virtute. Deposco mea voluntate creaturae in forma conspicienda reveletur. Haec mando virtute." The woman chanted, eyes closed. At her feet, the circle of salt glowed first silver, and then gold.

Raven frowned, realizing the woman had cast two spells. The first she'd expected, but the second wasn't what she'd agreed too. Still, she said nothing, and remained within the circle.

"Why's she glowing?" Superman asked.

"Part of the spell." Zatanna replied, looking at the half-demon within the circle, appearing confused.

Beast Boy blinked. He too could see the light that surrounded his girlfriend, but ... He gulped. Something about her was different. It was as if she had an inner glow that radiated from her heart. It was blue, yet also green and yellow and orange and brown and purple and gray and pink and red. They were the colors of her emoticlones, all in balance with none of them outshining the other. Working in harmony, they created a brilliant rainbow, and standing within it was the most beautiful girl in the world. Her whole body shimmered with some supernatural essence, showing what he knew to be her true self. Awestruck, he could only stare.

Superman gazed at the one he'd come to question for more than a minute, also appearing to be dazzled by what he saw. Finally he spoke. "You took thirty-nine minutes of my memory only to protect your own secrets. You didn't pry into my mind to steal anything which I would've wished to keep hidden. All my own secrets are still safe. True?"

"True." Raven intoned.

"She's telling the truth." Zatanna said, frowning, yet appearing as if she couldn't take her eyes from the radiant figure who stood in the circle.

"Okay. That's it." The man of steel smiled at Raven. "As you can imagine, I was worried."

"I understand. I'm sorry I did what I did. But I can't say that I wouldn't do the same thing again. I'm sorry."

"I've known those who've used the same sort of trick with less ethics." He glanced at Zatanna who frowned

"That's it?" The magician asked.

"That's it."

"But ..." The woman continued to frown.

"She played fair Zatanna, and I insist that we play fair. I refuse to pry into her secrets." Turning he handed an envelope to Robin. "This I think should cover some of the damage I did. Whatever I was hit with affected me pretty bad. It was two days before I completely recovered or I would've stayed to help with the repairs."

"Thanks but we don't ..." The leader started to refuse the offer.

"Many thanks." Cyborg reached out and took the envelope. "We appreciate it." He gave the man of steel a genuine smile of appreciation.

* * *

"We don't need the money." Robin said when the guests had left. "We had plenty of materials left over from when we built the Tower, so the repairs didn't cost us anything."

"But my baby needs some new seat covers, and there's some fuzzy dice I think would look nice." The cybernetic teen replied.

Raven grabbed Beast Boy and teleported them to her room. "What did you see?" She hissed when they were alone.

"You mean when she did that spell? The one where you glowed?"

"Yes. What did you see?" She demanded again, refusing to let her fear show.

"The most beautiful woman in the world." The shape shifter truthfully replied.

"But ..." She gulped and searched his eyes for any sign of rejection, knowing that he had to have been repulsed by what he'd seen. It would've showed who she really was, and she was half demon. That it had to have been monstrous.

"Those lights were the emoticlones, weren't they? They were in perfect harmony, and you were inside it. I'll never forget that." Beast Boy told her, still awestruck. "And that glow, the way you shimmered, that was your inner self wasn't it? It was your soul, but why wasn't it black like your soulself when you use magic?"

Raven closed her eyes, shuddering in relief. "Don't know. Don't care." She finally sobbed, pulling him in for a very long, and very passionate kiss that removed all questions from the stunned boy's mind.

* * *

Beast Boy sat across from his girlfriend in a lotus position. "Kishar. Mlinzi. Matumaini" He chanted, staring into the eyes of the one who brought him such joy..

Raven stared back at the boy she loved and chanted. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."

With the two satisfied just to sit and meditation, the chanting lasted late into the night. "Kishar. Azarath. Mlinzi. Metrion. Matumaini. Zinthos." When the boy spoke a word of his mantra, the girl followed with a word of her own. Together the two mantras merged to become one.

"Do you want to meet Kishar?" The boy asked, reluctantly breaking the trance they'd both been in.

"The one who knows so much? The one you call mother?"

"Yeah."

"I most definitely would." Raven answered, emphasizing the words.

* * *

End of Chapter.

The two spells Zatanna cast were:

_"Intra hunc circulum, mendacium non fallit. Intra hunc circulum, Sed non fallit. Haec mando virtute_." _**Translates as: **__"Within this circle, let no lies deceive us. Within this circle, let no illusion deceive us. This, by my power I command."_

_"Deposco mea voluntate creaturae in forma conspicienda reveletur. Haec mando virtute." __**Translates as: "**__By my will I demand that the true form of the creature within be revealed for all to see. This, by my power I command." _

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	23. Chapter 23

**I do NOT own Teen Titans (Wish I did so I could make a BBxRaven episode.)  
**

_Notes and replies to reviews:_

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**A Sleepy Raven,... The Prophecy,... A New Trick,... At Last,... Beast Boy's Doom,...**_

Knock! Knock! The pounding at the door eventually brought the violet-haired girl out of her deep slumber. Peering in the direction of the offending sound, her empathic senses told her that it was her less than wise boyfriend who'd dared her wrath at ... She looked at the time. _Five am. _She wanted to curse. "Come in." She intoned.

"You're not ready?" Beast Boy said, seeing his girlfriend stare at him with a less than pleased expression.

"For?" She suppressed a yawn.

"To see Kishar."

"Huh?" Raven blinked. "Today? Is she in the city, or do we need to clear time with Robin?"

Beast Boy slapped himself across the forehead. "I didn't tell you, did I? Sorry. Anyway, just toss on your cloak and we'll be there in seconds?"

"Seconds?"

"Yeah. You'll see."

* * *

The confused girl sat across from her boyfriend and slowly chanted her mantra. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." Though she still had no idea what it had to do with going to see his mother, the relaxation it brought came quickly and easily. Then again, it always did with him there. "Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos." She intoned with a slight smile dancing on her lips. The irritation of being awoke too early vanished, and she was content just to sit like this with the boy she loved, not doing much of anything.

"Evening, or I guess for you it would be good morning."

Raven's eyes flew open at the strange voice. Blinking she looked around. The heat from the sun oppressively beat down on her, and its position told her that it was close to noon, or maybe even a little after. Around her were the sounds and scents of a jungle. "Teleportation?" She asked, glancing between the blonde-haired woman who'd greeted her and her boyfriend.

"My son told me you had questions about being a Gem, and what it meant." The woman who wore a green robe said with a pleasant smile. "Usually I don't share my knowledge, but given that he asked so nicely, I relented in this case."

The girl stared at the woman, feeling strange. Her eyes said the person in front of her was human but ... She gulped.

"Yes. I'm a demon. Being half-demon yourself, you would sense that."

Raven gulped again, before forcing the fear back into place. _He told me he had demon blood, and it had to come from somewhere. Just so long as she isn't like my father_.

"I'm called Kishar, by the way."

"Hello." She belatedly return the woman's greeting. "You know what I am then?"

"I do. The daughter of Trigon, sired so he could escape his prison."

"Oh." She looked around.

"Maybe some tea would calm you." Kishar pointed to a blanket where a small lunch was prepared.

"Thank you." She didn't know what else to say. When the scent of cherry flavored herbal tea reached her she inhaled, already feeling a bit calmer.

The woman turned to look at her son. "What? No hug? Afraid it'll seem childish in front of your girlfriend?" She frowned in mock indignation, and wrapped her arms around him. When he returned the hug, she smiled, holding him close for several seconds.

"Morning mother." The boy greeted her. Reaching out he then plucked several berries from a nearby tree.

Raven watched the scene that seemed so ... ordinary. She had no other word for it. Fumbling a little, she took a mug and poured herself some tea. Deeply inhaling the familiar aroma before taking a small sip she sighed, feeling a lot more relaxed.

"So you thought you could become the man of steel?"

"Well, at the time I ..."

The woman reached out and flicked her son's nose. "What did I tell you?"

"That I wasn't ready for it." _Did she have to wait until Raven was here to lecture me like I was a kid? _The boy sighed, looking a lot like a five-year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Then you went and let your power run low when fighting that dragon." Kishar shook her head, pretending to be ashamed even as her eyes twinkled.

"Well. I didn't have much choice there." Beast Boy defended himself.

"Really? Garfield Logan, didn't you even study that Kryptonian form? You can't change into it, but you can still make use of it." She shook her head and sighed in exasperation, looking over at Raven with a mischievous smile.

"I can?"

"Study it, just don't change into it." Kishar ordered.

"If I can't change into it, how can I use it?" The shape shifter asked.

The woman shook her head and sighed deeply, looking at Raven. "When it comes to sparring he's always ready to fight, no matter how black and blue I beat him. But when it comes to actually sitting down and thinking..." She shrugged helplessly.

Raven suppressed a giggle, while Beast Boy just sulked. Taking a cup of tea, he sat and thought about the shape he'd failed to shift into. Already he had serious misgivings about letting those two meet.

Kishar sat down and poured herself a cup of tea. "Ask away." She told the girl with a friendly smile, taking a sip.

Raven blinked. _What do I say? _She wondered. _I had a thousand questions, but now I can't think of a single one. _"If you're a demon, why aren't you like ..." She gulped, realizing how rude that sounded.

"Like Trigon?" The woman shrugged. "I'm not sure why he wants to destroy everything, but most demons like things the way they are. We're immortal, and there're a billion worlds to explore. For the majority of us it's paradise, and the last thing we want is to see it end."

"Oh. Am I evil like him?"

"Hardly. Why would you think you're evil? If a woman steals, and then has a child, does that automatically make the child a thief?"

"No. But they don't have a prophecy saying they'll bring about the end of the world."

Kishar giggled. "Actually, neither do you. Just one that says you _might."_

"But?" She recalled the prophecy that often haunted her dreams.

The blonde-haired woman gave a weary sigh. "It's a game, albeit a rather brutal one, that has lasted longer than you can imagine. There was a prophecy, but only a part was allowed to reach Trigon's ears. Only Azar and I knew the whole of it." She looked up into the air and spoke.

"_The Gem was born of evil's fire,_

_The Gem shall be his portal,_

_He comes to claim, he comes to sire,_

_The end of all things mortal!_"

Raven blinked when Kishar didn't slow, but continued to speak.

"_The Gem was born of mortal fire,_

_The Gem shall be given choice,_

_A path of light shall seal the evil,_

_A road of darkness will end all rejoice!_"

"I never heard of the second part." The violet-eyed girl mused, looking thoughtful.

Kishar shrugged. "It was meant to be hidden. I did the ritual of prophecy here where Trigon can't spy, and told it to Azar with several of these present." She held up a small stone ward that by now was very familiar to the girl. "Knowing only the first half, he believed that victory was his, and did nothing to make sure you followed a of path darkness. He was content to wait."

"I see. If he'd known, he wouldn't have let Azar raise me. He would've done something to ..." She shrugged.

"In Azarath people feared you, yet Azar would've only shown you love. That which she gave you is what you took to heart, and which lead to his failure. But if he'd known that you had to be tempted to a path of darkness to gain his freedom, then he would've made sure you were raised in misery, and you would've grown to hate the world." Kishar smiled at her. "That you were born of mortal fire states you're not the personification of evil. The prophecy affirms that you, like all of us, have a choice between good and evil. That Trigon was resealed in his prison reaffirms that you choose a path of good."

"Oh." Raven smiled at the woman, resisting the urge to run around shouting in glee. "I wish I'd known that earlier." The girl intoned, not knowing how to express what she felt.

"Sorry. If you'd known, then Trigon would've learned."

"I can see that." Raven shrugged. "In the end all that matters is that he failed." _I have a choice. I'm not evil. _The euphoric girl beamed a smile at the woman again, unable to contain her joy, and her violet-eyes twinkled. "What about the forbidden door? Will my children have one, and can they be his portal?"

"That's something he placed in you, and isn't something that can be inherited. It's merely a seed that grows by absorbing your power, and at the right time is capable of opening a gateway to his prison. Your children will be free of it."

"Oh. Good."

Kishar's eyes twinkled. "So. How many grandchildren can I expect?" She asked.

"Uh?" Raven blinked, turning a bit red. "Two, maybe three."

"Not nine or ten?" The woman frowned.

"No." The violet-eyed girl almost shrieked.

"Five? Or maybe six then?" The woman was almost begging.

"Two or three." Raven repeated.

"Oh." Kishar sighed, looking a little disappointed. "How soon?" She then asked, eyes once again twinkling.

"Several years. At least." The girl gulped, turning redder.

"Not in nine months time?" Once again there was a pleading tone in the voice.

"No." This time she did shriek.

"A year?" Kishar asked hopefully.

"No."

"I'm sure if you start right away I can have a grandkid in less than a year."

"No." Raven repeated. _Someone, help. _She begged, knowing her face had to be neon red.

"I got it." Beast Boy yelled excitedly, jumping up.

"About time." Kishar told him. "Now try it."

"Got what?" Raven asked.

"I can't become the man of steel, but I can still use his genetic material. It's like how I can choose a single gene to mutate my bones so they're hard, or splice in a single gene from a hummingbird so I can think faster." He looked at her, eyes radiating pure glee. "Most traits use more than one gene, but the one that lets Superman absorb the sun's energy isn't like that. It's just the one gene, and I can make use of it."

"Try it, and then say that." His mother told him.

The boy focused, taking a mental representation of the changes he wanted, and overlapping it with his body. As far as he could tell nothing changed.

"Good." Kishar said. "You won't feel anything because your power isn't low. However, if it was you would now be converting the sun's rays to replenish it."

"Useful." He looked at his hands.

"And it doesn't give you anything else. The genes which gives Superman his speed and strength make use of that energy, but the one you spliced in doesn't have anything to do with that."

"I know. Still, no more running low." He grinned at the two women.

"Try shifting a number of times, and see how it feels." Kishar waved her hand.

"Okay. I'm going to fly around for a bit." He became a hawk and launched himself into the air.

"He looks a lot like you with his blonde hair and green eyes, but while he doesn't talk much about his childhood, I was pretty sure he was human back then." Raven watched her boyfriend disappear into the sky.

"He was. But when he was eight he died, and the only way to save him was to merge some of my genes with his. It changed him."

"Oh." She gulped.

Kishar's eyes twinkled with mischievousness. "Want to see what he was like as kid?"

"I would love to." Raven actually squealed, hating how much she sounded like Starfire when the alien princess was excited.

The woman held out her hand, and a box appeared.

* * *

Beast Boy soared over the African landscape, flexing his wings as he embraced the freedom the form of a common swift gave him. Shifting he became a Crowned Hawk-eagle and then a Golden Eagle. Each time he shifted he added in the gene that let him feed from the sun's energy. Touching the source of his power he then became a Greater Spotted Eagle, followed by a Lesser Spotted Eagle. With satisfaction the shape shifter noted that his energy level wasn't dropping. That he could literally keep changing from form to form until he dropped from the sky in boredom. Happily, he became a Brown Snake-eagle, followed by an African Fish-eagle two seconds later.

Arching his wings, the boy contentedly studied the land that stretched out below him. Protected by Kishar it was literally a garden. The forest contained trees not just from Africa, but from around the world. In short, if it was something the demon liked, then she'd planted it and for some reason it'd grown. The same was true with dozens of different types of berries that would normally only prosper in cooler climates, and even some of the animals. With them the wards that marked the boundary of her land acted as a fence, and they didn't stray.

Becoming a Peregrine Falcon the shape shifter dove, hitting more than two-hundred miles per hour before he swooped up, changing into a White-throated needletail. Immediately he then shifted into a Gyrfalcon which was followed by a Eurasian Hobby. Endlessly, he switched from form to form until he'd become more than a thousand different species of birds. Still, when he touched the source of his power it glowed steady and strong.

Content with his new trick, Beast Boy soared higher and higher, looking out over the horizon. Becoming a Whooper Swan he rose to twenty thousand feet. With literally a bird's-eye view of the world he found a thermal, content to rest for a few seconds and let the tranquility of the land sink in, knowing that all too soon he would be back in Jump City searching for Adonis.

Blinking, the boy focused, and studied the hint of red that he saw in the distance. With a tiny tilt of his wings, he swooped towards it. Even from several miles his eyes told him what it was; Billy Numerous busy at work. Knowing he was nothing more than a bird that the villain would overlook, the shape shifter flew closer. The usually jovial man was split into around three hundred clones, lugging a huge stone through the jungle. On all their heads was a scarlet 'S' while their lips were turned down in a frown of misery.

The shape shifter swooped closer. With control over his powers his forms now had their natural color, and except for his green eyes along with a very slight greenish tint to the skin, or in this case feathers, he was nothing more than a blackish-brown common swift with a whitish throat. To see his eyes, or the slight marring of the bird's normal color, one would have to be within several feet.

Circling within a few hundred feet of the boulder the villain dragged, Beast Boy frowned. It looked a lot like the ones Kishar used to guard her realm, but the marks on it told him it served a far sinister purpose. Similar to the runes that'd been carved on both Cinderblock and Superman's back, it was a ward not against Trigon, but against Kishar. Studying Billy Numerous again, he saw the man's neck had been branded with a similar mark.

He turned and headed away. Just as Trigon couldn't spy on anyone who was warded against him, he knew Kishar wouldn't be able to see what was happening right on her border. Nor would she be able to use her power against the threat. However Adonis had managed to give them power, those wards would keep his mother from defending her land.

* * *

Beast Boy hurled through the sky, finally reaching the clearing where Raven and Kishar sat talking together. Despite the situation, when he saw the beautiful, violet-eyed girl blush and giggle, he nearly laughed. Then, peering down with the eyes of a hawk, he went into shock, falling more than three thousand feet before he could think to unfurl his wings.

_No, no,no, no, ... _The word ran through the terrified boy's head in an endless loop as he studied the two in absolute dread. _She wouldn't. _He gulped. Compared to this Adonis was nothing, and even Trigon couldn't hope to conjure the fear that now clutched at his heart. In a panic, the shape shifter swooped towards the two, becoming human only when he was within reach of that box. The box that contain pictures of him as a kid. The pictures that were taken in the sweltering heat of Africa, and usually showed him stark naked.

"No." He screamed, becoming human, and rolling away with the embarrassing treasure trove tightly clutched in a death grip. Looking up the boy sobbed, knowing it was far too late. Raven, the girl who was only just learning to smile, had dropped to the ground in a fit of uncontrolled giggling. In her hand were several picture that he was far too afraid to look at.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Beast Boy's new trick doesn't give him super-strength or super-speed, it merely means he can use the sun to keep his own power from running low. Essentially, if he uses it to recharge, he can shape shift as much as he wants without needing to rest.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	24. Chapter 24

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

* * *

_**The Dilemma,... The Battle,... Adonis,... The Worth of a World,...**_

Beast Boy paced anxiously around the room, while Raven stood to one side, not moving. Together they silently waited until the rest of Titans raced in.

"What's the emergency?" Robin immediately demanded, reaching out to turn off the alarm.

"We know where Adonis took Billy Numerous." Raven intoned.

"Great." Cyborg pounded a fist into his left hand, grinning viciously. "Let's smash him."

"Yes. friends. Let us first demolish Billy Numerous, and then we shall find the drugger. His body shall roast in the flames of your sun." Eyes aglow, Starfire grinned with enthusiasm.

"Excellent." Robin said with a wicked grin of anticipation. "Cyborg, get the T-car ready, I'll take the motorcycle ..."

"It's in a jungle somewhere in Africa." Raven interrupted him. "We'll need the T-ship" She turned to look at her boyfriend. "And we'll need coordinates."

"About that ..." He sighed, staring at the floor.

"Come on, man." Cyborg urged his friend impatiently. "This is the first lead we've had on that ..." He looked around the room. "Well, you can fill in the rest of it."

"It's not that simple." The shape shifter glanced around, looking troubled.

"Beast Boy, there's no way we can let the guy go." Robin spoke firmly, edging into interrogation mode. "Give us the coordinates."

"Just hold on okay." They frustrated boy growled back, snarling.

"Hey. Okay." Cyborg backed off. "So what's wrong that you don't want to give us the location?"

"You see. If anyone was to find out what I'm about to tell you, it could be bad." The nervous Titan gulped. "As in the end of the world bad."

"Explain." Robin demanded, still sounding serious, yet backing off with the interrogation mode.

"Before I say anything, you need to swear that you'll let Raven wipe your minds after it's over."

"Waa...?" The titanium-clad teen gulped, while their leader just stared.

"Why? Friend Beast Boy?" The Tamaranean asked.

"I would like to know that too." Raven looked at her boyfriend, frowning slightly.

"Just swear."

"I can't do that." Boy Wonder replied, thinking. "But I'll meet you halfway. If it's as serious as you say, then I'll do it. If not then I would rather not have anyone mess with my memories. Not even Raven." He looked at her. "No offense."

"Quite understandable." The girl intoned.

"I'll make the same promise." Cyborg spoke hesitantly, clearly not liking the idea of someone messing around in his head either.

"As will I." Starfire swore.

"Okay." Beast Boy looked around the room. "First you should know that Adonis has committed at least five murders since we last saw him."

"How do you know that?" Robin asked, frowning.

"He had five wards much like the ones Raven is making against Trigon. Unless he had a half-demon stashed away somewhere, the only way he could've made them was by sacrificing a person, and using their energy to empower them."

"That's the only way?" The leader asked.

"You need someone who can project their soul into the stones." The boy shrugged. "There aren't many people like that, so I'm guessing Adonis started doing a ton of rituals right away, and Trigon corrupted him. He'll no longer be the minor villain we're used to."

"Okay." Boy Wonder replied. "Odds are he's now a murderer, but that's something for the courts to handle. We just need to capture him."

The shape shifter sighed again, looking like he wanted to scream. "About that. If he goes to trial, he'll be free to speak. And a few words from him could destroy the world."

"Explain." The leader demanded again, rubbing his head. Clearly he just wanted to find the villain and squash him.

Beast Boy turned to look at Raven. "Trigon's prison is an artificial dimension that's adjacent to the Earth. Kishar, as I call her, maintains the wards that keeps that dimension stable. If those wards are broken then ..." He gulped.

"Then we need to hurry." The violet-eyed girl intoned, gulping herself.

"We do." The boy agreed. "But you see, that's why the only place he can sire a Gem is on Earth. The further away it is, the more energy he would need to sire another one. And there's not enough mystical power on any world that can reach across light years." He turned to look at the rest of the group. "If any of the other races find out that they could end any threat from Trigon forever by destroying humanity, they might very well do it."

Cyborg blinked. "Oh."

"Are you sure?" Robin swallowed.

"There are those among my people who would jump at the chance." Starfire told them, sounding dead serious.

"I see." Raven intoned. "He needs to sire a Gem to escape, and the only place he can reach is Earth." She gulped. "If the Tamaraneans, or another race, were to hear of this it could be bad."

"Yeah." The shape shifter looked around. "Turn off any GPS systems you got. And swear you'll let Raven, or Kishar, wipe your minds afterwards."

"I swear." Robin replied, looking rather pale.

"Me too." Cyborg said, smiling weakly at his friend with a look that conveyed trust.

"As do I friend Beast Boy." Starfire agreed, eyes closed. "I love this world, and would rather not see it become a twin of Tamaran."

"Thank you." The green-skinned Titan said with a faint smile, clearly awed by their trust.

"We still need to decide what to do about Adonis when we capture him." Robin told him. "But first we need to catch him. How about those dire..." He looked around.

"Kishar is providing the transportation." The shape shifter replied, glancing at the jungle they now stood in. "He's around a mile that way." He pointed.

* * *

"Everyone have a ward against Trigon?" Beast Boy asked, peering through the trees at the one-man army called Billy Numerous.

When everyone had answered, the shape shifter nodded towards the huge boulder their enemy was guarding. "It has no power." He told them. "How he could even hope to charge something that size I don't know, and neither does Kishar, but if he does managed it somehow, then Trigon goes free. It'll punch a hole right through his prison wall." He then pointed at the villain that guarded the massive rock. "See the ... bones ... he's wearing. They're what keeps Kishar from interfering. They came from the spines of those who were sacrificed to empower them. If we could take care of him, and move him away from here, she would be able to act."

"Okay." Robin gulped, looking a few shades too white as he studied the ghoulish charms their enemy wore. "Time to save the world again. Team! Go!"

Cyborg lifted his sonic cannon and took a shot at the giant boulder, hoping to damage it. The blast that should've smashed chunks from it faded into nothingness just feet from the target. It was the first attack of the battle, and caused their foe to multiply from less than fifty clones into four hundred.

Starbolts rained from the Tamaranean who took to the air. Her assault also failed to reach the granite stone. She yelped, and dropped low behind some trees when a wave of rocks and other debris arched towards her.

Robin, grabbed a full half-dozen explosive discs and let fly. They went off three feet before they reach the ward, with the blasts clearly hitting some sort of barrier. As one, a hundred look-alike foes raced towards him.

Raven sent her soulself out, only to encounter a smooth, invisible surface that surrounded the rock. When an army of Billy Numerouses turned towards her, she shifted her focus, and possessed a medium size tree that'd been recently ripped from the ground. She twirled it for a few seconds, knocking the horde that advanced on her back a few feet.

Realizing that a direct assault on the source of danger itself was useless, the Titans turned towards the attacking Billy Numerous clones. He was a villain they'd fought a number of times before, and would hopefully go down easy.

Their leader scrambled up a seventy-foot Jackleberry tree like a monkey to throw various discs. In a position where they couldn't dogpile him, he first tossed a few electric disc to stun his foes, followed by several freeze discs. When a rain of small stones were flung at him, he dodged behind the dark-gray trunk, and scurried to another branch, hidden by the dark-green leaves. That worked until they circled him, and started to tear his refuge to the ground. Agile as a monkey, the Titan's leader jumped to another tree to continue the fight.

Beast Boy blinked. _I knew that dish Starfire cooked reminded me of something. _He mused for a split second. _Other than being a bit salty and way too chewy, it was like the fruit from a Jackleberry tree. _The shape shifter shook his head, and pushing the idle thought to one side, became a Cheetion. Splicing in the hummingbird gene that let him slow time, and hardening his bones, he launched himself into the battle. His massive paws slapped one prey after another to the ground, rendering them unconscious. Within the forest there were no worries that he would be swarmed. Despite its size, the giant cat was able to vanish into the jungle, and then strike at will from a random direction. Never standing still for a second, the great predator moved, and his foes melted before him.

Taking her lead from Robin, Starfire dodged behind a tall tree, pouring forth a flurry of starbolts that cut a path through the squirming mob below. When the swarm got too close, she would drop down into the canopy of the massive trees, and quickly choose another place of safety from which to hurl forth her wrath. Despite being struck a few times by stones that came her way, the orange-skinned girl didn't cease her own brutal assault for a second.

Raven teleported a short distance away, and turned to watch the fight. Seeing how successful Robin and Starfire were, she briefly considered duplicating their methodology, but frowning she changed her mind, and instead levitated to a position three-hundred feet above the battlefield. _No need to dodge here. _The half-demon girl mused. _I can go all out attacking without having to watch my back too much. _Sending her soulself down, she grabbed the corpse of another dead tree, and went to work. With a bird's-eye view of things, the empath ruthlessly attacked from the behind. Whenever the clones massed for an assault on one of her teammates, she wielded her makeshift weapon like a giant club, and coldly bludgeoned them one by one.

Cyborg was the one who was in trouble. Unable to fly, or scramble among the branches like a monkey, he was forced to fight from the ground. Despite his cannon picking them off by the twos and threes, the villain saw a weak spot, and swarmed him. The titanium-clad Titan tried to use the jungle as cover, but within seconds he was dogpiled. Even as he fell, he put his new weapons into action. While it drained his batteries like crazy, he would calmly lie on the muddy ground, waiting until nine or ten of the red-clad foes were on him, and then send an electric current through his outer armor. Powerful enough to stun, those who were touching him at the time vanished when they fell unconscious and were reabsorbed by the others.

* * *

"You dare challenge the Great One." An arrogant voice boomed forth. "So be it, fools. I'll crush you like the bugs you are." The massive, red battlesuit of the one they'd sought for so long rushed into the fray. Stepping up to the tree the Titan's leader was using as a shield, his fist splintered its trunk, causing Boy Wonder to lose his grip. The villain went to squash the falling _pest_ only to have his foe nimbly catch a branch and swing away. Two explosive discs came flying back at him, doing little damage but serving to distract and enrage him.

"I'll rip out your spines, and cast you into the hell where Trigon is." Adonis screamed, grabbing a small boulder that he sent hurling at Starfire. It struck the Tamaranean with a thunk that everyone heard, sending her flying away. A few seconds later the girl soared back into view looking a little battered, yet still raining down starbolts.

"And you." The psychopath raged, looking up into the sky. "I'll take what I want from you, and then you'll be paying a visit to your father." He tossed another rock, aiming for the empath this time, but she was too far away. Going into a rage, the villain tore into his foes.

Raven frowned slightly, knowing what he planned to take. The same thing he was going to take the night when BB had saved her. Tossing the tree she'd possessed to one side, she focused her will. "Go to hell." She screamed, and sent a giant fist formed of black magic crashing downward. Striking the would be rapist, it casually knocked him to the ground.

"No one says no to the Great Adonis." The madman rose to his feet. "You should've been grateful you little witch. Who else is going to want to screw a half-breed demon slut." The giant hand brutally slammed him to the ground once again.

Beast Boy heard the villain's words, and growled in blood-curling fury. He turned aside from knocking the almost endless supply of Billy Numerous clones to the ground to charge the ranting psychopath, snarling savagely as he did so. His claws tore deep into the titanium armor, and despite the sheer size and mass of the battlesuit it shuddered beneath his onslaught. A giant, red fist reached out and sent him flying, but he merely regenerated his wounds and struck again. Even as he seethed with absolute furor, the shape shifter studied his foe. The suit he wore had been upgraded with the weak spots at the knees and ankles now being considerably thicker. Still he slashed at them, hoping ...

"Annoying dog. Did you think the Great One wouldn't fix that." Adonis crowed. "And it's not just titanium anymore." He pointed to the deep grooves that'd been slashed in his armor.

The shape shifter whirled around the raving madman, calming his wrath long enough to see that the battle armor the egotistical villain wore was healing. That the damage he'd already done was disappearing as the grooves slowly closed. Shaking his head, deciding it didn't matter, he raced at Trigon's pawn once again, wielding his natural weapon with a surgeon's precision as he futilely sought a weak spot.

"The Great One is now truly unstoppable." The triumphant psychopath ranted. "First I'll crush the dog, and then ..."

Beast Boy abandoned the form of a Cheetion, and chose that of an elephant mixed with a cheetah. If a bit less agile, its claws were a lot longer. Splicing in the same genes for stronger bones, and slowing time, he went to work. Thick as the armor that kept him from his prey was, it was still thinner in places, and those he sought with the natural instinct Kishar had pounded into him. The triumphant ranting that came from Adonis turned to screams of pain and fear.

"Stupid dog. How dare you harm the Great One?" The villain sent his foe flying, only to have the shape shifter heal his wounds and return to the fray less than a second later. In a panic, with blood seeping through the slowly healing gashes in his suit, the villain went on a rampage, smashing the shape shifter aside with frantic bone-crushing punch after frantic bone-crushing punch. It never gained him more than a brief respite as the raging beast invariably landed on his feet, and always returned to the fray within an instant with his injuries gone.

With Adonis distracted, Robin returned to the trees to once more strike at the Billy Numerous clones. With less than half of the original four hundred remaining, the situation on that front looked good. With a grin of satisfaction, Boy Wonder let fly with a freeze disc. His target became coated in an inch-thick layer of ice that collapsed when the clone vanished, reabsorbed by the others.

Slightly bruised, Starfire rose into the air and rained down bright-green bolts of destruction on her foes. With Adonis and Beast Boy so closely intertwined, whirling around together in brutal combat, she sent a few attacks at the ward, only to have it prove as futile as before. Frowning with grim determination, she tore into the clones of the once jovial villain who was now nothing more than a minion of Adonis.

_Wow. _Raven thought, watching the frenetic and barbaric way BB relentlessly tore into the pawn of Trigon. Feeling both a little scared by the raw fury, yet comforted, she forced her attention away to strike at the other foes who remained. Possessing the shattered remains of another tree, the empath went to work. As before, she clobbered one after the other from behind, occasionally sparing a quick glance towards her boyfriend.

Still piled beneath twenty or more clones, it was doubtful that Cyborg even knew Adonis had arrived. With a worried frown, he kept track of his energy level, and shocked the squirming mass that tried to crush him. His titanium armor was badly bent in places, and didn't look like it would last much longer.

That was something new. Normally Billy Numerous didn't try to harm anyone. While the red-clad criminal was always a bit high spirited, as villains went he was far from evil. The Titans saw him as someone with just a tad too much power, and who enjoyed himself just a little too much. Sometimes they'd even wondered if he might be turned to one of them. Under the control of Adonis, that'd changed. There was a look of despair on his face, and he was clearly trying to kill.

The great seven-ton cat stalked its prey, lashing out with devastating, lightning-quick, swipes of its massive paws. The battlesuit of his foe was shredded, unable to keep up with the brutal assault. From those gashes leaked blood where his claws had tore through the armor, and found the fragile flesh beneath. Soon the fight would be over. With a snarl of victory, the enraged shape shifter struck again, the attack blurring with speed, moving too fast to be seen. As if by magic, four more deep furrows appeared in the titanium that hid the would be rapist.

"Use the ring, you idiot." Adonis screamed, no longer sounding quite so arrogant. "Hurry up." The defeated villain raised his hand in a futile gesture to hold off the great beast that was relentlessly hunting him.

The hundred or so remaining Billy Numerous clones looked at the ring they wore, and with trembling voices spoke. "Pascuntur, virtus et fortitúdo legitime meum mihi." In obvious pain, they turned back to the Titans, multiplying as they did so. When there was a thousand they stopped, and looked up.

A thousand rocks and tree fragments of various sizes arched up into the sky, aimed for the empath who'd before struck with immunity from her sanctuary. They smashed aside the shield she created, and sought the now vulnerable girl. What happened next was blocked from view by the sheer mass of the hurled debris. Turning as one, the mob of super-powered clones swarmed towards a badly injured Cyborg who'd only just regained his feet. Once again, he disappeared from view.

Seeing the horde of foes bend and pick up a makeshift weapon, Raven had immediately focused on creating a shield. Even as it'd been battered aside, and several projectiles had painfully smashed into her, she'd maintained the concentration needed to teleport away. Hidden by the foliage on the ground, the badly injured empath spent a few seconds gasping in agony. Having tried to protect her head, her arms were shattered. A number of ribs were also broken, while massive gashes freely bled across the front of her body.

Then the crippled girl had felt the sudden fear that radiated from the battlefield, followed by the sheer torture of having one's flesh ripped and tore. Frantically, she'd reached out, painfully channeling power through her broken arm to create a giant hand of black magic, and hauled her friend away from certain death. The gesture was repeated when she felt Starfire battered from the sky by another mass of a thousand thrown rocks. Without hesitation, desperately trying not to black out from the pain, she grabbed Robin as well. Then, in despair, the crying girl realized there was no way she could pull the seven-tn cat her boyfriend had become from the chaos.

* * *

Terror had overtaken Beast Boy when he'd seen his girlfriend disappear, apparently ripped from the sky by that brutal onslaught. Then Cyborg had been crushed beneath a pile of clones that would kill him in seconds. In panic, not knowing what to do, he'd turned away from Adonis, and sniffed the air even as he'd raced towards his fallen friend. Then a familiar gigantic hand had appeared out of nowhere to drag the cybernetic teen to safety, and he'd detected the delicious myriad of smells that his nose knew as Raven.

He'd whirled back towards his fallen foe, planning to end this when Billy Numerous turned on Starfire and Robin. The orange-skinned girl had fallen to the ground, savagely mauled by a hail of rocks before she was pulled away by Raven. Their leader had been yanked away just a few seconds later when a similar attack was about to wreak havoc on him. Alone on the battlefield, the shape shifter wondered what to do.

He was smashed backwards fifty feet as the one-man army turned on him. Rising, Beast Boy tried to attack the clones, only to be battered to the ground again. Knocked around by one wave of rocks after another, he fought to think even as he keep reforming his body, healing his wounds. First there was the scent of blood that urged him to race to his girlfriend's side. Then there was the knowledge that the ring Billy Numerous wore could kill the pitifully mind-controlled villain. That each minute the fight lasted would be one year gone from his life. While that was a price he would have accepted when it came to Adonis, the suffering minion was just a pawn. When more salvos of deadly debris kept him from even trying to fight, he turned and raced away. In his mind there was only one thought. _So much blood. Is she okay?_

* * *

Raven relaxed when she sensed her boyfriend flee to safety, dropping painfully back on the ground. When the mob of clones turned towards her group of mangled friends, she teleported them several hundred feet away, hiding in the jungle.

Starfire, bleeding from any number of wounds, rose to her feet. Hurt as she was, her near indestructibility had saved her life. "We shall punish the drugger another day." She stated firmly, wavering on her feet before collapsing back to her knees.

Cyborg sat up, his human eye unfocused while he ran diagnostic checks. "I'm at five percent power." The badly injured boy told them. "But they seemed to have wanted to just tear out my heart, and thankfully my armor is pretty thick there. If you'd taken another second to yank me out ..." He shuddered before speaking again. "Thanks."

"No problem." Raven intoned, trying not to breath too deeply. Her chest was killing her, as was every other part of her aching body. "How is everyone?" She looked around, careful not to aggravate her own injuries.

"I'm unharmed." Robin said, dropping down beside her. He gulped. "You?"

"Much as I want to tear Adonis to pieces, for today I suggest we retreat." She closed her eyes. "And if you got any painkillers on you, I'll take them." Already she'd clotted the blood around her wounds so she wouldn't bleed to death, but the job of fixing the rest of the damage was going to take a long time.

Boy Wonder hurried to pull out a first aid kit for the girl who'd never asked for painkillers, or any other sort of medical aid, in her life.

"I'm good for a while." Cyborg said. "But if I don't get back to the tower in a few hours ..." He shrugged.

When Beast Boy found them, they wearily struggled to their feet, and marched away from the battle they'd lost. As a gorilla, he gently carried Raven in his arms.

* * *

As the battered Titans retreated, they left the area of Trigon's influence, and were snatched from the jungle only to reappear in a clearing. To the shock of everyone other than the shape shifter, mangled flesh painfully healed, and broken bones knitted together. Even the metal of Cyborg's armored body flexed and returned to its unmarred form, while his power cells indicated a full charge. It seemed there were benefits to fighting for a so-called demon.

"I'm sorry." Beast Boy told his mother, seeing how weary she looked. Despite those who would see it, he walked forward and hugged her.

"I'm sorry." Raven echoed, standing and looked down at her healed body. "We'll do better next time.

"We just need to rethink our strategy, and try again." Robin said with confidence, studying the woman even as he gratefully noted his friends' miraculous recoveries.

For a few seconds the demon let her arms rest around her son. "If you have time." She replied, glancing at the Titan's leader. "How Trigon could hope to generate enough power to charge that ward I don't know. But if there's a chance, then ..." She sighed and slumped, not willing to meet their gaze as she stared at the ground. "It was a mistake when I created the human race, yet what was done was done, and I'm no monster. However, there're billions of others worlds where there are those who look up at the sky and ponder, who have consciousness as well as dreams and hopes ..."

"Created ..." Cyborg and Robin stared in shock, while Raven merely blinked her eyes.

"I am willing to wait." Kishar continued. "However, if there's even the slightest danger that that beast will go free then I will have to act. I don't think there is, but it's one world weighed against so many, and I cannot forsake my duty."

'If you can't touch those who guard it, then how can you stop him?" Raven asked in a monotone, with a queasy feeling in her stomach.

"I can't touch it directly, but I can touch something that once set in motion would cast it free of this world."

"Such as?" Robin asked, while Cyborg just gulped, already understanding.

"I would shake the core of this world, and direct the molten rock towards the ward. It would be powerful enough to cast it away. I can't touch it directly, but that which I set in motion can." The demon stood still, unable to face them.

"Oh." Beast Boy gulped, turning pale.

"Oh." Robin echoed. "That wouldn't be good ..."

"How many would die?" Cyborg asked, eyes closed while he ran models of the destruction on his hardware. "Surely you wouldn't destroy everything?" The titanium-clad teen swallowed nervously.

"I would not be able to bring myself to ..." The demon shuddered. "I made you, and though it was a mistake I won't destroy you. It would be a supervolcano that would plunge the world into darkness for decades. Billions would die, but humans would survive. I would make sure of it."

* * *

End of Chapter.

Why not bring in the Justice League and attack in overwhelming force. Because the more who know, the more likely it is another race will hear, and take matters into their own hands.

"_Pascuntur, virtus et fortitúdo legitime meum mihi.." __**Translates as: **__"Feed on my power, and give me the strength that is rightfully mine."_

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	25. Chapter 25

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Yeah, I've thought about having the Endless play a role in some of the stories, and even briefly played with the idea of making Kishar one of them. I've also considered a BBxDeath fic, though the rule that if she falls in love with a mortal his downfall is assured would have to be circumnavigated._

_If Beast Boy overheard the conversation Kishar and Raven had about grandkids, he was too embarrassed to say anything. Given his hearing, he probably did._

_A God in the DC universe? That's so complicated I've given up trying to understand it._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Breakfast,... Nevermore,... Meeting,... A Talk,... A Villain Strikes,...**_

"Come on B, aren't we best pals?" Cyborg pleaded.

"Dude. She's not a glorified mechanic." Beast Boy retorted.

"My baby isn't just a car either. I'm sure she'll be happy to help."

"You're a mechanical genius. Why would you need help fixing a car?"

The cybernetic teen shook his head in exasperation, and sighed. "You wouldn't understand, B. Sure I can fix a car, but she can make it as good as new." The boy tapped his chest. "My systems are like they just came out of the factory. If she can do that for my baby ..."

"Isn't fixed as good as new?"

"Dude." Cyborg screamed in horror. "There're only so many charge cycles a battery can handle, and metal can become fatigued. She didn't just _fix_ my systems, she made them as good as new. There's a world of difference."

The shape shifter blinked. "Charge cycles? Fatigue?"

The titanium-clad Titan screamed in frustration, and tried to tear out his nonexistent hair. "It's like taking a first-edition comic book out of the plastic sleeve, reading it, and putting it back." He reached out the grab his friend's shoulders. "Don't you see? She can make it like it was never took out in the first place."

"So, is it worth your soul?" Beast Boy asked, deciding enough was enough.

"Huh? My soul?" Cyborg back off, looking confused.

"Well, she's a demon, so some sort of contract would be in order." The green-skinned Titan shrugged. "And they usually involve your soul."

"Umm... Well..."

"Anyway, I'll let her know. When do you want her to come for the ... umm ... payment?" Beast Boy deadpanned.

"You're kidding. Right?" There was a hint of doubt in the cybernetic teen's voice.

"And I'm pretty sure the contract needs to be written in blood as well. Let's see." The shape shifter turned and searched through the cupboard drawers, pulling out a knife. "Write it up and I'll hand it to her." He tossed the razor-sharp kitchen utensil to the stunned boy.

Raven cut a piece off a perfectly cooked waffle, and after making sure it was liberally coated with maple syrup, started chewing. "Do you think he'll take you up on the offer?" She intoned after swallowing, watching Cyborg race from the room. There'd been a look of indecision mixed with the horror on his face.

"I figure it's fifty/fifty." The shape shifter sighed, and sat down to his own breakfast. "It's the end of the world, but somehow things never seem to change." He smiled at her.

"True." Her heart raced, and she smiled back. "Wait." She blinked, looking thoughtful. "I can think of two things that's changed since we started this whole Titan business."

"Oh." Beast Boy furrowed up his brow, looking confused.

"Robin now lets Starfire help in the evidence room, and while making those discs he uses."

"True."

"And you can kiss me without worrying I'll knocked down every wall in the Tower."

"Also true." The boy glanced at his uneaten waffles, and then looked at the violet-eyed girl. "Speaking of which." He slid closer, gazing into her eyes with a hopeful grin. Soon the two of them forgot about breakfast, and focused on each other.

* * *

Having just left the commons room where she and Beast Boy had been interrupted by Starfire, Raven entered the portal to Nevermore with a grin on her face. Even the pink clouds and the pink grass didn't dampen her good mood. "Morning." She greeted her emoticlones.

"Morning." Several of them greeted her back, not bothering to look her way.

"Is that the spell we're planning for Adonis." She asked, looking at the strange sight before her. All eight of her emoticlones were gathered into a group, looking over Knowledge's shoulder. Rage was right behind the yellow-clad girl, determinedly holding her place despite the hostile postures from those around her. The others, with a suitable distance between them and the red-clad emoticlone, were gazing at only the book in Nevermore with the occasional fit of giggles.

"Hmm. We're working on it." Knowledge said, closing the book with a slight blush, while the crowd around her reluctantly dispersed.

"Let's see." Raven took the book from the emoticlone who resisted just a little. Opening it to the last page marked in the history, she saw the baby pictures Kishar had shown her. The violet-eyed girl blinked, and shook her head with a sigh. _I guess it's better than when I thought they were going to kill Rage and bury her. _She flipped to the page were the spell to punish Adonis was written.

"We'll have to use blood." The yellow-clad girl spoke up. "That's the only way to make the spell strong enough."

"I see."

"And we'll have to repeat it several times. Eyes, mouth and ears."

"I see." Her eyes wandered over the spell, taking in every word, studying how it was phrased.

Knowledge shrugged. "But you were right, if we use powers of three it's possible. What we had was a mess, so I started over again. It's pretty simple now, just needs a lot of power, and a lot of repetition."

"I see." The blue-clad girl smiled demonically, and closed the book. "Good work." She praised the emoticlone.

"The others helped a lot. Especially Rage." The girl grinned happily, sharing the credit.

"Any ideas on what to do about whatever that monster Adonis is planning in Africa?" Raven asked, frowning from the bad taste the name left in her mouth.

"Kill that Billy fellow, and let our Beastie rip the armor off that prick. Then we cast the spell." As usual, Rage was all for the direct approach.

"If we can't subdue Billy Numerous, I'm not sure how we can kill him even if we wanted to. Which we don't." She cringed a little, seeing the eyes of the red-clad emoticlone flare in anger.

"Killing is easier than subduing. We can kill him." The demonic looking girl shrugged. "We teleport in, and strike from behind. He'll be dead before he knows it."

"Umm. Any less bloodthirsty suggestions?" Raven practically begged.

"With the ring to amplify his strength and numbers, he really is a one-man army." Knowledge frowned, pondering possible solutions. "But he's an innocent in this. Sure he might be a villain, but he hasn't ever done anything to deserve being killed. As a minion of Adonis, he's to be pitied."

"Agreed. So how do we get him out of the way?" The blue-clad lead of the emoticlones asked. "And no. No more suggestions of killing." She added, seeing Rage about to speak. "Few of the villains we fight reduce themselves to such tactics, and I'm not about to start down that road." Her eyes meet four, glowing red ones in a staring contest. After a few seconds, the red-clad girl looked away, muttering angrily.

"Agreed." Affection chimed in, looking serious. "If we start down that route then so will the villains. They rob, or attack something, and we stop them face-to-face. Imagine if we start assassinating them. They could strike back at us at any time, and ..." She shrugged. "Unlike Batman our identities aren't all that secret, nor is the place where we live. It would be chaos, and we would most likely die. Including BB, and that we refuse to risk." She turned her gaze on Rage, and the dark muttering stopped.

"Agreed." The red-clad emoticlone replied. "That we won't risk."

* * *

"Suggestions?" The leader of the Titans asked an hour later.

Beast Boy frowned, realizing how easy it would be to become a snake, and slither unseen into the enemy camp. A single bite, and Billy Numerous would die. Even if he was to clone himself a million times it would be too late. Each copy would carry the poison, and as strong as they were with that ring, it would be over in minutes. Adonis he could handle. "None." He said, knowing Titans didn't murder. "But you should know that during the fight I felt five more of those wards against Kishar. Seems Adonis' count for killing is up to ten now."

Robin went pale. "You sure?"

"Yeah. He had them inside his armor, but they were there. So to clear the area to let Kishar handle things, we would need to take care of both him and Billy Numerous now."

"The League of Justice?" Starfire suggested.

"If we bring in more people, there's no way we could keep things quiet." A weary Boy Wonder told her. "As it is, we've got to be mind-wiped ourselves. If we were to call in the Justice League who knows how many it would wind up being." He rubbed at his head, and sighed.

"I have no suggestions that don't involve killing." Raven intoned. "And personally I vote against it."

"As do I." Robin replied, standing to pace the room. "We've never even talked of killing before, so let's not start now."

"Agreed." Cyborg and Starfire added their votes.

"Agreed." Beast Boy echoed. "We need to rescue Billy Numerous. Not kill him."

Their leader turned and flipped a switch. "I've kept an eye on what they're up to, and so far it's not much. They're just building a road to the nearest highway, which doesn't make sense. If Adonis wanted something brought in, he could just have it carried."

* * *

Raven slowly paced her room, once again condemning herself for having let Adonis drug her. That was where it'd all started. If she hadn't been taken in like some stupid school girl just because she wanted a boyfriend, then they wouldn't be in this whole mess now. There would be no talk of killing, and no danger of the world ending. At least not by her hand.

Knock! Knock! She turned and reached out to open the door with her dark magic.

"Why the pacing?" Beast Boy asked. "Meditation is usually your style."

The violet-eyed girl tossed the ward she'd just finishing making at him. "Nine hours is all I can stand before calling it quits." She smiled at him, looking tired and sad.

Turning to pace again, she found him standing in front of her. Slowly, his finger reached out to gently stroke her cheek, telegraphing the move so she didn't go nuts and break something, like the entire world. "Why did I make such a stupid mistake?" She asked angrily. "Things were so good. I like it here at the tower. I like having friends. And I like having you as my boyfriend. Why did I mess everything up?"

"We weren't dating then." Beast Boy pointed out.

"No. But if I'd just seen him trying to use the drugs then it would've been over. Then ..." She sighed, looking at him. "Then we would've found each other."

"Either way we would've." He agreed, unable to stop touching her.

"It's my fault." She sighed, and leaned against him.

Beast Boy held her close, resisting the urge to let his hands wander. "You're wrong." He whispered in her ear. "That bastard was looking for a way to get more power so he could beat us. He was going to look into magic and demonology regardless of what we did, or what you did. And eventually he would've learned something dangerous no matter what. You were just the closest, and most convenient target. " He slid his hands down a little lower than usual, and felt her tense a little before relaxing. "We made the mistake of thinking of him as a joke, but he's obvious a genius comparable to Gizmo or Cyborg, or else he wouldn't have been able to make that neural-interfaced suit of his."

"Mmm." The distracted girl snuggled closer. "Adonis a genius? I can see it, but I still don't believe it."

"Mmm." Beast Boy sighed himself, studying the ear that was so close. "With those skills he could've made a few million dollars from inventing stuff, and had all the women he wanted. But that wasn't enough. Jinx went into the villain business because she felt compelled to, being a bad-luck magnet. Gizmo I bet just wants respect. No one takes him serious since he's so short. Dr. Light obviously has some phobias when it comes to the dark. But Adonis ..." He paused, and nibbled on the ear for a brief second, feeling her tense once again before relaxing and trying to snuggle closer.

"But what?" Raven murmured, eyes closed as she sensed the love that radiated from him.

"He's more like Slade. He's obsessed, and doesn't care about hurting people. They're just tools to him. I can recall when I was the beast now, and even that most primal part of me had no desire to run wild, killing. Yet when Adonis had the same power he attacked. He needed to show his dominance, and the only way he knew how to do that was by challenging us, not caring if he kill or harmed anyone." Beast Boy paused, struggling to find words when his senses were so overwhelmed by the woman he was holding. "Caution kept him in check for a while, but he's a monster. When he kills I bet he has no remorse. Actually, I think he would love it. It would show his power, his superiority, and that would be like a drug to him."

"Beast Boy." The violet-eyed girl whispered in a voice that was suddenly very unRaven like.

"Yeah?" He let his hands roam a little.

"Sometime you talk too much." She pulled him backwards so they fell on her bed.

"I ..."

Raven silenced whatever he was going to say with a deep, lust-filled kiss that stunned the shape shifter. No longer able to think, just feel as his senses were overwhelmed by her scent, he returned the kiss hungrily. When she grabbed his hand to guided it to her breast, all reason left him, and in his world there was only the woman he loved. The woman whose lust he could smell, and which incited his own. _Just how do I get this leotard off. _The desperate boy fumed. _Isn't there supposed to be a zipper or something? _Raven's hand moved to help him, as eager as him to be rid of it ...

The alarm rang through the tower for several seconds before either of them took note of it.

* * *

"Ha." Gizmo taunted the girl. "Stupid witch. I upgrade my suit's software. Use a dozen hands, and you won't be able to touch me." The pint-sized villain paused in his rant and lifted his goggles. "Uh. Oh." He said, no longer sounding so confident.

Beast Boy, along with Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire nervously hid behind the T-car as the four-eyed girl went to work.

A twenty-foot by twenty-foot section of the three-foot thick concrete floor at the Seventh Westwood bank was ripped up, and slammed down on the shaking criminal whose most heartfelt desire at the moment was only to surrender.

"_**Some of us have lives.**_" Rage howled in demonic fury. With a sound much like thunder, she raised her seventy-ton weapon to savagely slam it down again.

"We should stop her." Robin said.

"You go ahead and try." Cyborg told him. "When you're paste I'll make sure to put flowers on your grave."

"I'm sorry." Gizmo tried to flee when the floor segment was raised again.

"_**Some of us have needs.**_" Rage bellowed darkly, causing the windows the shatter. This time when she rammed the makeshift weapon down, it broke in two.

"Mommy." The villain shrieked.

"Why is friend Raven so ... upset?" Starfire wondered, looking wide-eyed at Beast Boy. "What needs are she talking about?"

"Well see ..." Beast Boy really had no answer to that.

Searching for a new weapon, the half-demon girl reached out with her magic, and pulled the bank vault free. "_**Do you know what you interrupted?**_" She roared at the villain who was frantically trying to dig into the ground. _**Crunch! **_What remained of the bank floor shattered into several pieces, while the sobbing criminal was buried under several tons of gold bars that clanged through the open door the vault.

"What was friend Raven doing when she was interrupted?" A perplexed Starfire asked, still looking at Beast Boy for the answer.

"_**Do you know how pissed I am?**_" Rage brutally used her makeshift, reinforced-steel club again. The walls of the bank trembled as cracks ran up them.

"It would've been cheaper just to let Gizmo rob the place." Robin said, closing his eyes. "Let me know when it's over."

* * *

End of Chapter.

I think it's safe to say that Gizmo will be in the hospital for the rest of the story.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	26. Chapter 26

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_They would still have to defend Jump City against the other villains, so yeah, they ended up back there. They got the T-ship and Kishar can teleport them, so It's not a big distance to them. But that's where they got their equipment. I'm sure Robin would be low on discs, while Cyborg would want access to the Tower's systems. They were soundly beaten, and until they can think of a way to win, it's as good a place as any._

_To be clear, it's not Trigon's domain that Kishar would eject. She can't do that since she wants to keep him in his prison. Rather it's the ward that Adonis created, and will try to empower. If that happens then it would disrupt the prison wall, and Trigon goes free. So, if she thinks he has a chance to empower it, she would eject the ward brutally enough to cast it into space by creating a supervolcano._

_Time: The next morning._

* * *

_**Awakening,... Adware,... Trigon's Plan,... The Assault,... The Caravan,... Decision,... A Fiery God,...**_

Warmth. Comfort. Love. They surrounded her, filling the entirety of her being. It was only with great reluctance that the violet-eyed girl slowly opened her eyes, and looked around. "I feel asleep, didn't I." She said, gazing at the boy whose arms held her in a gentle embrace.

"Guess when Rage goes on a rampage it really drains your batteries." Beast Boy grinned at her.

"Hump. I've going to have a little talk with her about going overboard." Raven muttered, sounding displeased.

"Don't be too harsh. I understand exactly how she felt."

"Well, since I'm her, and she's me, so do I but ..."

"Raven?" The boy whispered in her ear.

"Huh?" She lost her concentration, suddenly aware of just how close her boyfriend was.

"Sometimes you talk too much." He nibbled on her ear, and his hands started to roam.

Raven gulped, agreeing wholeheartedly with him. Twisting her head, she eagerly pulled him close more forcefully than she'd meant to. Lips bruised, but not caring, she sought only to quench the need that burned within her.

When the alarm sounded, she growled, unable to stop her power from running wild. In the shape of a giant black hand, it scratched the steel walls, leaving deep furrows in them with a nerve-wracking screech.

* * *

"Okay." Spoke a voice that sent chills down the spines of the three Titans already in the commons room. "This had better be important, or I won't be held accountable for my actions."

"Umm." Cyborg gulped nervously. "I was keeping track of what's happening in Africa, and things have changed. Robin and I thought it best to assemble the group for a meeting."

"Oh." The half-demon girl sighed, taking a seat. "What's happening?" The fury vanished from her face to be replaced by a mask of impassivity

"Billy Numerous was used to build a road to the nearest highway. After that he cleared the area around the ward, or the stone, or whatever..." The titanium-clad teen shrugged. "If I didn't know better I would say they're expecting a rather large number of people."

"How many?" Beast Boy asked.

"Hard to tell. The area he cleared is around a half mile in diameter. Depending on how long they're staying for, that's enough room for a lot of people."

"We're rested, and have had a chance to think about the last fight." Robin spoke up. "While we still don't know what he's up to, or how to beat him, we do have a target; the road."

"Billy Numerous didn't just beat us last time." Raven intoned. "He trashed us, and sent us flying with a flick of his finger."

"While I hate to be a downer, friend Raven is right." Starfire said. "If we attack, then what is to keep this Billy Numerous from giving us the flick of his finger again?"

"The road is ten miles long." The leader told them. "We'll try to find a point that's not guarded, and take it out. If nothing else it'll delay their plans for a few hours."

"Strange." Cyborg muttered, frowning as he turned to look at a computer screen. He went to work typing before glancing back to them. "A virus, or rather some adware, just tried to infect the Tower's systems. It's worth watching." The boy hit the enter key, and turned back to the screen.

_"Greeting my friends." Spoke a smiling man, whose blue eyes cheerfully sparkled. Standing at six-foot six, with black hair and a muscular build, he was the very embodiment of the Greek idea of perfection. "My name is Adonis, and I have a message for those of you who wish to stand above the pity dealings of this world to grasp the future with your own two hands." He spread his arms wide, clearly offering a welcome to those who listened. "In the distant past our race emerged from the savannas and jungles of Africa. We were the apex of evolution, but alas that cold mistress never stands still. Now, in our ancient homeland a new race will soon be born. A race with the power to defy any and all who would try to stop us."_

_Turning, he pointed, and images appeared on the wall behind him. "See the power of the new ones." Selected images of the Titan's humiliating defeat played on the screen. The only thing different was that the man speaking was the one who was doing the defeating, rather than Billy Numerous. The video stopped, and the cheerful Adonis turned back to his audience._

_"See. Even those who can easily cast you down as you are now, will not be able to stand against the new ones. Those who've violated their flesh, such as Cyborg, will be as toys in our hands. Those, such as the witch Raven, who was born of dark forces to destroy the world, will be as mere children. Aliens, such as the one called Starfire, will no longer be able to make claims of being superior." The man beamed another smile, eyes once again sparkling. "The one called Beast Boy was as nothing to my power he gloated. See how easily he was handled." A fragment of the video ran again, showing the shape shifter being knocked back by a salvo of debris. "The world renown hero called Robin did no better." Once again the screen showed the defeat of the Titan's leader._

_"If you wish to seek the power to dominate, to define your own fate, then return to your ancient homeland, and become one of the new ones. Create the future as you wish it to be. The choice, and the power to do so, is yours. I Adonis, will bid you welcome, and together we shall be transformed."_

"There were hypnotic suggestions in the video." Cyborg told them, turning off the screen. "I filtered them out of course, but it would give the people who listened an instinctive knowledge of where to go, as well as creating a desire to do just that.

"We take out that road, now!" Robin stated.

"I printed a map of the area so we could plan the attack." The titanium-clad Titan spread it out on the table.

Raven frowned, peering at the diagram. When the others crowded her, she used her power to push them back. "What's this?" She asked, frowning furiously as she pointed at several lines on the printout.

"Roads." Cyborg shrugged. "No idea what they're for. They don't seem to go anywhere, and given how rough they are I would never drive my baby on them."

"It's part of a circle for a demonic ritual." Beast Boy told her, staring at them. "Though what sort I don't know."

"I do." Raven swallowed, going pale. "It's for a sacrifice to create a ward against Kishar. That monster gets however many people he can inside the outer line there." She pointed. "And then chants a ritual. They die very painfully, and their power is used to charge the stone." She clenched her fists. "The whole clearing is nothing more than a huge circle."

Robin frowned. "So he created the circle, and then sent the virus to tell people how to get to it. He's enticing them in with offers of power, and then he's going to sacrifice them to Trigon?"

"I wish." The violet-eyed girl shook her head, unable to completely hide her terror. "If I got this right, then if the sacrifice was to Trigon it wouldn't do much. He would still be in his prison, and it wouldn't help him at all. However, if that stone is charged to create a ward, then it'll punch a hole in his prison wall. He'll get free." She studied the map some more. "But that would take millions of people. I felt Kishar's power, and she's maintained that prison of his for a very long time." She looked up at Beast Boy.

"A very long time." The boy agreed, also looking pale. "But he doesn't need to create the ward, just send the power through the stone." He gulped, frowning as he studied the map. "If he gets enough people then there won't be a hole, but it'll weaken the wall enough for Trigon to break free. He only needs it to last for a second. A hundred thousand people sacrificed in the same instant would ..." The shape shifter paused. "It doesn't need to be permanent." He explained.

"Oh." Raven clenched her hands, and focused on her emotions, needing to calm them.

Around them the world blinked, and changed.

* * *

"I see. So that's his plan." Kishar said, clenching her teeth. Looking weary, she sat on the ground.

"We'll stop him." Robin assured her.

The demon shook her head. "Don't you see? It was never Trigon's plan to break free using Adonis. Even if I hadn't requested your help, I would've sensed that many people gathering, and cast the ward into the void."

"What is his plan?" Raven intoned.

"Just to cause as much suffering as he can." Kishar shrugged helplessly, looking pitiful. "He knows I would never allow something like that to be created within my domain. He wishes to force me to decimate the human race, and to condemn me to feel the guilt of doing so forever." She leaned against her son when he knelt beside her, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Our goal at the moment is still the same." Robin told them. "We put off his plan for as long as we can by taking out sections of the road."

"Can't you destroy the road?" Beast Boy asked, holding his mother.

"No. It's been warded against me."

"But ..." He gulped. "Ten miles, that would take hundreds of wards."

"You mean he's already killed hundreds of times." Raven intoned, shuddering.

* * *

Starfire smashed her way through the jungle, coming in low. Her starbolts blasted the road, causing medium-sized craters across a hundred foot length. Cyborg had sneaked close, and fired up his sonic cannon. It shattered a five foot section. Immediately the titanium-clad teen went to work aiming at the next. Raven sent out her soul, and ripped gaping holes in the makeshift highway. Robin tossed several explosive discs, which did ... absolutely nothing. The minor indentations they made couldn't even be called potholes. Meanwhile Beast Boy watched, realizing just how inadequate most animals were when it came to something like this.

The hundred or so Billy Numerous clones who guarded the road retaliated. Raising his hand to his mouth, the weary looking villain spoke the phrase which would steal his life in exchange for power. Immediately his numbers grew until there was a thousand of him. While even that one-man army couldn't guard every foot of the highway, there was one every fifty feet, and the makeshift weapons they threw could travel for nearly a thousand.

Two hundred rocks came at Starfire, but they were spread apart, and the battle hardened Tamaranean avoided most of them. Aiming at a nearby clone she threw a dozen starbolts at him. Though he was knocked down, the enhanced villain struggled to his feet. Another flurry of the green energy blasts sent him back to the ground, only to vanish as he was reabsorbed by the others.

However, she paid a price for concentrating on the one foe as more than hundred jagged-edged projectiles slammed into her. Bleeding, she evaded, and tried to destroy more of the road. Another hundred foot section was pockmarked before she was forced to run for the jungle, bleeding.

Cyborg fired again, and hid behind a huge boulder when he was attacked. It saved him from being hit directly, but soon he was covered in a mountain of rocks, and struggling just to stand. Four more shots later, with twenty more feet of the road gone, he fled for the jungle, bruised and battered.

Raven ripped up another chunk of the highway, and teleported a few hundred feet where she repeated the task. The untrackable moves let her avoid most of the rocks and other debris that came her way, but her power quickly ran low. Barely able to remain in the sky, she dropped down into the jungle. Behind her she left a line of rubble that stretch for more than a thousand feet..

Robin, seeing he would be useless when it came to road demolition, tried the clones. His explosive discs knocked two of them back, doing little damage. Switching to freeze discs, he froze them. Unfortunately the ring they wore made them sturdy enough to handle just about anything Boy Wonder had, and they merely broke free of the ice. They marched on the leader who fled.

Beast Boy also charged a clone, slamming it with the massive paw of a Cheetion. Using his power to enhance the attack, the Billy Numerous duplicate collapsed and vanished. Then he himself was pelted by a hundred rocks. Reforming his body, he raced at his next foe. He downed an even dozen before they converged, and their numbers kept him from further attacks. Then he too raced for the jungle.

But the assault didn't end there. With the power of a demon on their side, their wounds vanished while their power was restored. Turning, the five teens would then march back into the fray. They were silent as they fought, nor did they speak to each other when they retreated. They were Titans, and Titans didn't kill. Yet, though each attack was brief, it still lasted two minutes or so, and each was a year Billy Numerous would never live to see.

With grim determination they demolished a full mile of the road in five brutal attacks. They would've continued even as they watch the once jovial villain age, but that was when the first of the trucks arrived.

To get through most places in Africa you need four-wheel drive, and those jeeps had that. They twisted and turned, avoiding the craters Starfire had made. When they came to rubble piles that Raven had reduce large sections of the highway to they were stymied, until the aging one-man army marched on them and carried the vehicles over the jagged ruins. The areas Cyborg had battered were reduced to little more than gravel, yet it was enough to let them make their way to the place where they hoped to become new ones, and gain unbelievable power. Perhaps such a battle would normally had made most of them flee, but they saw those clones with their immeasurable strength and resilience. They saw the power, and hungered for it. Not that there was any place for them to retreat to anyway. The highway behind them packed by those who'd also heard the same message, and listened.

The Titans retreated, unable to slaughter so many innocents. Within the caravan they saw the young and the old. There were people of every color, with clothing that came from all over the world. Some were healthy, while others looked sick. It would seem many had made the trek not for power alone, but merely for the hope of being healed. There were those that smiled and laughed, while other wore grim looks that chilled the soul.

* * *

"Billy Numerous is repairing the road even while the caravan moves." Cyborg informed them. "They're swarming into the clearing now."

"How long before there's a hundred thousand?" Kishar intoned, staring at the sky.

"Not long." The cybernetic teen frowned, crunching the numbers. "There're around five to six people per jeep, and they're traveling two abreast. Two hours minimum, three at the most."

"That fast?" Raven intoned, wanting to scream.

"That's modern transportation for you." Cyborg shrugged helplessly, tossing a grim look at the girl.

"In the village there's a cave where my people are taking shelter." Kishar told them. "Go there."

"Isn't this where the volcano is going to ..." Robin asked.

"Nothing will harm you in the caves." The weary woman assured him. "Soon it will be the safest place on this world."

Frowning intensely, Beast Boy silently watched his mother while he held his arm around his girlfriend. _She's stood guard for more than two-hundred million years so others could live in peace. _The shape shifter grimly mused. _And she will do so for ... forever. _He pondered that, not really able to comprehend such a timeframe. _If Trigon succeeds she will bear the pain of genocide for all those endless years. She only wanted someone to watch the sun rise with, to drink tea with, to talk with ... someone to ease her loneliness. _In his heart he knew only fury for the monster called Trigon, and unflinchingly weighed the cost. _A pain born for eternity, or a pain born for a few short years? _In the end it was meaningless. She was his mother who'd returned his life so long ago, and who loved him without question. Bleakly, with a will forged of ice-cold granite, he summoned his power and etched a ward on his flesh; a ward against his own mother's power.

"No!" Kishar roared, turning on him. "This is my duty. I will never allow ..." She gulped, collapsing to the ground as tears ran from her eyes. "No." She begged pitifully, reaching desperately out as her son became a Cheetion, and raced into the jungle.

_I need power. _Beast Boy decided, and without though he spliced in the Kryptonian gene that would let him feed from the sun's energy. Still, it would only give him what he already had. Meticulously the shape shifter sorted through the most powerful shapes he could become. Superman was still beyond his reach, and he was pretty sure Adonis would've guarded against him; after all, he'd once even bound the man of steel to his will. Then he recalled his battle with Malchior, and weighed the power needed to become a dragon. Immediately he took to the air, nearly falling unconscious as the transformation took everything he had. But he feed on the yellow rays of the sun, and arched towards the circle where thousands had already gathered.

Without hesitation, he then created another ward on his flesh, the one that gave power for a year of life. He fed it his essence, and was relieved when it worked. While he could feed on the sun's light, that would power the ward, and his life wouldn't fade away before his eyes. Not that was sure he would want to live after what he was about to do.

A fiery god of death, the shape shifter appeared over the clearing, and hurled down his wrath. Below him he saw Billy Numerous multiply to become a thousand, but his breath tore into the clones, turning them to ash. In psychic shock, the rest disappeared. As his demonic fury swept around the hated stone that dared defy his mother's might, thousands of people perished before they could so much as scream, or even flinch. Their dust sank to the ground, while the son of a demon inhaled, and prepared to unleash his furor once again. Seeking even more power, the ruthless boy coldly spliced in a gene to enhanced his strength.

The next breath struck the boulder that defiantly stood in the center of the clearing. With an onslaught that would've humbled the dragon called Malchior, his outrage tore into the rock that was thirty feet on a side. Helpless before his rage, it shattered into a million pieces, creating a wave of death that mercilessly mowed down thousands more of the innocent.

* * *

End of Chapter.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	27. Chapter 27

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Yikes! Granite can weigh anywhere from 165-172 pounds per cubic foot? That's heavy!_

_Also, the limits on Kishar's power. She can heal any physical wound, but she can't raise the dead. To her the dead are just as dead as they are to Raven or any other healer in the Teen Titans cartoons._

* * *

_**Aftermath,... Justice League,... A Broken Mind,... Vengeance,...**_

There could be no forgiveness for what he'd done. There was no place in the world for such a monster. Seeing the two-thousand ton rock shatter, ending Adonis' threat to the world, and to his mother, the boy abandoned the form of a dragon, allowing himself to plunge to the ground. He would join those he'd slaughtered. In his hubris he'd chosen their fate, and the least he could do was join them in it.

"Find him. Stop him. Please." Kishar begged in a voice void of hope.

Raven had already teleported after the boy, reaching out with her empathic senses to locate him. Starfire took to the air to follow her. When they reached the circle they both stood together to stare in shocked horror at the destruction. To their disbelieving ears came the panicked shrieks and moans of the suffering and the dying. From a center where the ground ran molten, the partially burned and mangled corpses stretched for close to two-hundred feet. Beyond that, for another two-hundred feet there were those who piteously writhed on the ground, emitting heartrending screams for help, or in many cases just begging for release from the all-encompassing agony. Most were blind, having had their eyes seared into black, gaping holes that bled red, while others had limbs that were scorched away. Thousands were but blackened bodies from which came sobs that sounded as if they rose from the very depths of hell. Such was the unbearable torment those voices spoke of that both girls fell from sky to kneel on the ground, unable to speak or do anything but stare hopelessly.

"Find Billy Numerous and Adonis." The half-demon girl suddenly commanded, standing up. "Get them out of the circle." Not waiting for a reply she found the one she sought, and teleported to his broken remains. Laying in the exact center of the circle, his flesh was gone where molten rock had burned it away, and despite herself, she gagged from the stench. Every bone was but a splintered mess, and there was no way the boy could still be alive. Weeping uncontrollably, the girl carefully lifted him and carried him to where his mother waited. Even before she could rest his remains on the ground to shout her own fury at the sky, Kishar reach out and uttered a single word to her son.

"Shift." The demon commanded, and the body obeyed.

"He's..." Holding her breath, Raven sent her soul into the now living form.

"It takes a while for cells to die." Kishar told her. "Physically he'll be fine. I know you wish to stay with him, but find the wards that keeps me from that circle and destroy them. Hurry! Please!"

Reluctantly the girl stood, teleporting back to that accursed place. When she saw Starfire lifting Billy Numerous, she raced to the Tamaranean. "Find Adonis." She sent her soulself into the comatose body of the villain, sensing that he was indeed alive. While in deep psychic shock, it seemed the loss of hundreds of clones hadn't killed him. Swiftly, she found the five gruesome bone charms he carried, and broke them.

"Over here, friend Raven."

Studying the massive titanium form of the suit Adonis wore, Raven felt the darkness within her rise. Inside the useless mass of fused metal the boy was still alive, and they would have their vengeance. Rage commanded her to take it now, while Affection urged her to look to the injured. Knowledge seethed in anger, but noted that they could always come back to the monster, that he wasn't going anywhere.

Inside the armor the wards she needed to break were beyond her reach, but it was a matter of just a few minutes to lift the fifteen-ton mass, and haul it away from the destruction. When she teleported back the girl froze, staring, suddenly realizing that while Kishar looked human, she most definitely was not.

The demon stood in the air with a look of impassivity on her face. Eyes closed, the unaging woman sent her soul outward, infusing it in everything, living and otherwise, until the entire circle glowed green. First it was the burned and brutalized flesh of those who merely appeared to be dead that she mended; impossibly, they started to breathe again. Then she moved on to the injured, commanding their ruined bodies to heal. Where there was but empty bleeding holes, eyes regrew, and even limbs sprouted to become unmarred arms and legs. Eventually, once those who'd carried wounds from her son's fury were whole, she came to those who'd come in the hope of having some illness cured, and those few found their hopes realized. Three dozen children with leukemia suddenly blinked, and looked healthy before sinking back in unconsciousness. More than a hundred other cancers vanished along with a thousand other ailments that humans were prone to. Then, slowly, making sure of her work, the demon withdrew her power.

"Follow the road, and destroy the wards you find there." Kishar commanded the shocked half-demon girl who rushed to obey.

Even as she teleport to the start of the road, Raven felt her power renew itself, having been restored by the demon who still hovered above the center of the circle. The makeshift highway was ten miles long, but the wards she needed to find were foul things created by the sacrifice of those who'd been killed while shrieking in torment. Their auras were easy to find, and the girl merely flew along, ripping up the ground when she came to one, and crushing it. Still, there were hundreds, and the task took a full half-hour.

By that time she saw others descend from the sky. Superman and Supergirl, flew over observing things, while Zatanna peered at her with a suspicious look. Sensors from space had recorded the mass migration which had been linked to the release of some very sophisticated adware, and it was only normal that the Justice League would investigate. When they'd detected what appeared to be the use of energy weapons, they'd tried to rush things, but even they could only do so much. As it was, they'd finally gotten around to what had originally appeared to be a very minor issue. A death toll in the thousands had changed their minds.

* * *

"What do you know of this?" Zatanna turned on the girl who'd just finished clearing the road. Her hand was raised accusingly to point at the circle.

Raven shrugged nonchalantly, wanting nothing more than to knock the smug bitch to one side so she could rush back to BB. "I know it was a demonic ritual." She replied, working overtime to calm her emotions.

"A demonic ritual, and you just happen to be here?" The woman's voice reeked of disbelief.

"The villain was Adonis." The violet-eyed girl grimaced, resisting the urge to snarl the name. Something in her tone caused the black-haired woman to pale a little, and take a step back.

"The same one as in the Ad?"

"Yeah." Raven replied, regaining control of her fury. "But he was in a neural-interfaced suit in the Ad. I know you got a file on a person by that name since I'm the one who did the paperwork a few years back. Seems he got hold of some information on mystical rituals, and ..." She shrugged. "If you got a case open on a serial killer who rips out people's spines, that's probably him as well."

"Oh. We do." Zatanna said, eyes glazing over for a second as she seemed lost in thought. She swallowed, looking like she might throw up.

"We both know what that was about." The half-demon told her. "Cause as much pain as possible, and sacrifice the person. Their energy is captured in a part of their body, which in this case was the vertebrae closest to their brain." She sighed. "That's what I just did. I found them and destroyed them."

"What were they for?" Her look of suspicion returned when Raven remained quiet.

"Sometimes it's not the best idea to share knowledge." The tired girl replied, looking her interrogator in the eye. "The fewer places something like that can be found the better."

"True." Zatanna reluctantly admitted. "Any idea what happened to him?"

Raven considered her answer, but knew that with two Kryptonians in on the action they would find the remains of the suit Adonis wore, and hence him There was nothing to gain by trying to hide it. "Around two miles that way." She pointed with obvious reluctance. "His suit was fused, and he's trapped in it."

The blue-eyed woman shook her head and sighed, suddenly looking tired. "Nice to finally have him in custody." She told her fellow dabbler in magic. "But this case was ..." She shrugged. "Any case where people die is a bad one, but this one was really bad. Over two hundred tortured to death, and who knows how many died here." She looked towards the circle. "Those energy blast suggested thousands dead, but strange there aren't any injured."

The violet-eyed girl ignored the question. "Do me a favor?" She asked.

Zatanna looked at the girl, and after a short pause nodded.

"Tell Adonis that he and I are going to have a little chat." The icy wrath in the girl's voice cause the woman to gulp, and step back with a look of panic in her eyes.

"He'll be in Justice League custody. Personally I wouldn't care what you do to him, but I doubt Superman and the others will just let you walk in and hurt him."

Raven shrugged. "Like I care."

* * *

She blinked, startled when the world changed around her. Immediately she knelt to gently stroke her boyfriend's face, becoming worried when he didn't turn to look at her.

"His mind is broken." Kishar said. "If it will heal I don't know."

"But ..." Raven gulped. "What you did in the circle?"

"Was just the physical."

"If you made him forget..." She held her boyfriend's hand while looking hopefully at the demon. "If he can't remember, then to him it'll be like it never happened."

"There are places where even I don't dare to tread. Tonight, if you chose, you'll know more."

"Tonight?"

Kishar shrugged. "You'll see." She said, closing her eyes in weariness. "The price was mine to pay. I did prophecies to see his future so that I might do my best for him, but he was determined on his path, and would not be swayed from it. Still, such things are often riddles, and I didn't know this would happen. If only I'd known ..."

"The Justice League is going to learn about you when they question Adonis."

"Before they question him, they'll remove him from his suit, and take away those wards he wears against me. His mind I can tamper with."

"But not BB's?"

"Everything has a price. I will convince the Justice League that what happened was just the work of a villain, as it was. They'll be satisfied, and close the file on this event. They won't connect it to Trigon, and no others will know my secret." Kishar shrugged. "But they've committed no crimes, and I'll merely edit and persuade, not erase."

"Oh."

"Your friends have been told you'll be absent for a few days." The woman continued. "What they recall has been edited as well. Adonis did indeed come here, and they did met someone with some skill in magic, but they think I'm a half-demon like you. The knowledge he stole was to be used to enslave the world, but they only vaguely relate it to Trigon, and they no longer remember that there was a worry he might go free. They also no longer know the significance of this world."

"Oh."

Kishar looked at the girl. "I will not have my son thought of as a monster. What he did has been erased from the minds of everyone who knew of it." The woman's expression became dead serious. "Except for you. Now you must choose. You can go back to the Titans, and Beast Boy will be just a close friend who left to find himself. Or you can remember. You know he's killed thousands, and will never be the same."

Despite the power that radiated from the demon, Raven snarled. "If you erase a single memory I have of him I'll make you pay." She met the emerald-green eyes that gazed at her, and relentlessly forced them to turn away.

"Then you still love him?"

"I do." She turned to stare at the sky, gently cradling her boyfriend's left hand in both of hers. "This whole day has me shocked." The girl sighed, closing her eyes. "But I'll love him no matter what. He's kind and caring, and while I can't imagine how he could've done that, the fact that it broke him like it did shows he's still good. A person whose soul is evil doesn't care if they hurt others. He's not evil, and he's not a monster."

"Good." Despite the sorrow that lurked in her eyes, Kishar smiled at the girl. "It seems he chose well when he fell in love with you."

They sat together in silence for a while. "What did Robin think?" Raven finally asked.

"There is good and there is evil. There are those who commit crimes and those who stop them. The two sides are opposite, as different as day and night. And the line between them is clear." Kishar intoned.

"Oh." She gulped.

"When it comes to someone like Red-X who was merely a thief, it seems he can bend his morals and be flexible." The woman added. "But this was no simple theft."

"I see." The girl gulped, and started to cry as every control she had over her emotions broke. "You have all that power. Isn't there anything you can do?" She begged.

"Power? Me? Don't make me laugh child. I am in no mood for it."

"But ..."

"Tonight you'll see and understand what true power is."

* * *

Hours passed while the two did nothing but silently sit beside the one they loved. Then Kishar looked at the sky with a dark look, and grinned demonically. "The wards around Adonis was removed some time ago, and they've questioned him. They believe him safe in a cell but ..." She reached out a hand, and the villain appeared before her.

"The Great One is free." The boy turned around to look at his benefactors, only to fall silence as he saw the woman who stood smiling at him like a maniac. When he tried to flee, green vines of power wrapped themselves tightly around his body, piercing his flesh with sharp thorns. "Who are you?" He demanded, struggling desperately, albeit futilely.

"I'm the one who is going to tear your soul to shreds and send you to hell." Kishar told him, speaking softly, but somehow with such intensity that the prisoner ceased to struggle. Captivated by her power, he stared blindly at the demon.

"Mine." Raven rose, snarling as she dared to reached for Kishar's shoulder and push her aside. The woman turned on her with her hand raised to strike, yet holding back. It was a while before either managed to calm themselves enough to speak.

"Garfield is my son." The demon stated, not giving ground.

"BB is the one I love, and who will be my lover." The half-demon countered unflinchingly, not averting her gaze.

"He's not your lover yet."

"He will be. I will be the one with whom he gives you grandchildren."

Kishar pondered that, and reigned in her power with a shrug. "I know how to decide this. Let's see who can do the worst to him. What's your plan?"

Raven spoke of the spell her emoticlones had worked so long and hard on, only to see the demon grin.

The woman laughed evilly. "Okay. For now I release my right to him." She moved to one side, and gestured at the girl. "Put all your power in each word, I will make sure you don't falter during the casting."

Silently, the half-demon turned and walked to the boy. Raising her left hand, she tore open the flesh on her thumb with her teeth.

"Stupid witch." Adonis dared to say. "Release me now or I'll make you pay."

Ignoring him, the girl reached out and drew a circle around the boy's mouth. Inside it she inscribed a 'S' which was her father's mark, and began the first casting of the spell.

"Non videtur, non audietur. Non videtur, non audietur. Non videtur, non audietur. Quod virtute Daemonum hoc praeceptum ad te dedi, ait. Et per Sanguinem Meum, Hanc omnis Intellectus recedemus.

Non videtur, non audietur. Non videtur, non audietur. Non videtur, non audietur. Quod virtute Daemonum hoc praeceptum ad te dedi, ait. Et per Sanguinem Meum, Hanc omnis Intellectus recedemus.

Non videtur, non audietur. Non videtur, non audietur. Non videtur, non audietur. Quod virtute Daemonum hoc praeceptum ad te dedi, ait. Et per Sanguinem Meum, Hanc omnis Intellectus recedemus."

Placing all the power she could in each word, she spoke the curse three times, which was a number of power. Within it, parts were also repeated three times, or three times three, which was also a number of power. When she finished speaking the boy still talked, but only gibberish came from his mouth. Looking puzzled, he spoke again and again, looking more and more perplexed.

Rending her thumb even more, the cold-blooded, violet-eyed girl mercilessly drew a circle around each of the villain's eyes, and inscribed a 'S' in both. Then she chanted the words again. Alone she would never have had enough power to make the spell permanent, but with Kishar behind her she grinned ruthlessly, knowing no magician would ever break the curse. Not even Zatanna, who she doubted would even bother trying. Before her the boy shook his head, no longer struggling. In his eyes there was nothing but confusion.

One again using her teeth to gnaw at her thumb, the half-demon girl made sure it was bleeding profusely before drawing a circle around each of the boy's ears. As well as she could, she marked them with a 'S', and once again she chanted the words. Then she stepped back to study her work.

Mouth, eyes, and ears. The place of the three spots humans used the most to communicate. The whole curse had been cast three times on each, with the first line being incanted three times. Three, nine, and twenty-seven. All powers of three, they were numbers that bore considerable significance in magic. As a whole, the curse had take away Adonis' ability to understand _all _human communication. Not just hearing and speech, but _everything_, even sign language. If the intent was communication, then it would be gibberish to the perplexed boy.

"Arrogance and pride are what defines him." Raven said, satisfied with their work. "But now he'll never be able to speak or hear or read or write. He'll never be able to rant about how great he is for nothing but gibberish will come out of his mouth. He'll never hear the praise of others, for he'll never again understand human speech. He's less than an animal, since they can at least learn a few words. We've taken away all his dreams and all his hopes. His life will be lived in misery. Should he feel sick, he won't even be able to do something as simple as ask his guards for pain killers. He won't be able to understand their commands, and they will have to shuffle him around like some beast. For him the humiliation will be unbearable. Should the Justice League, for some unknowable reason, take pity on him and set him free, he won't even be able to walk down a street since he won't know when a traffic light means walk, or not to walk. In a mall he won't be able to use the washroom since he won't understand which sign means the mens. Nor will he be able to ask. No matter where he goes in the world he will always be lost, and will never be thought of as more than an animal." She gave a dark laugh that showed her demonic heritage. "He won't even be able to butter a slice of bread unless the butter tub is open. He won't be able to read the label."

"Much better than just killing him." Kishar admitted. "Even if I was going to do it very painfully. Either way, he's too arrogant to admit his crimes, and what I had planned will eventually come to be. I just need to be patient." She raised her hand, and the confused villain vanished.

* * *

End of Chapter.

The curse Raven used translates as:

_Never be seen, never be heard. Never be seen, never be heard. Never be seen, never be heard._

_By my power as a demon, this I command, this curse I place upon you. By my Blood, this I Will, all Understanding be gone._

It was cast three times each, on three different spots, mouth, eyes, and ears. The first line has the same words repeated three times. In other words, three, nine, and twenty-seven, which are all powers of three.

Also, to be clear, Kishar only healed the living. If it was someone who Beast Boy turned to ash, then they're still dead. But if they had a hole punched through their chest by shrapnel, yet their brains were still alive then they may have looked dead, but she would still have had something to work with. She can heal any physical wound, but not raise the dead. If Beast Boy incinerated their head, they're dead.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	28. Chapter 28

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments_

_Interestingly, but not too unexpected, it seems having Beast Boy kill caused me a few readers. Oh well. For those who stick with it, many thanks. _

_Chiku is a Swahili name that means Chatterer, or Chatterbox. Just a one chapter name, and won't be another OC like Kishar.  
_

_Remember, Mlinzi means protector, and is a part of Beast Boy's mantra when he meditates._

_How the Tortoise overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus : A folktale from parts of Africa._

_Time: Later the same day._

* * *

_**Night Approaches,... Calculating the Price,... Belonging,... Mlinzi,...**_

"Goddess."

The timid voice startled Raven, causing her to glance at the interruption. Several yards away knelt a young girl of maybe sixteen or seventeen. Her complexion was dark, contrasting the white robe she wore, while her dark-brown eyes stared in awe and curiosity.

"Evening Chiku. How's my little chatterbox doing?" Kishar asked, greeting the child with a forced smile.

"Good, Goddess." The girl gulped, clearly nervous. "You summoned me? Goddess."

"I have a minor task for you. If you're willing?" The woman reluctantly let go of her son's hand and stood. "And please stop kneeling. I've told your people a thousands times that it's not necessary." She tilted her head. "Well, actually more like a million, but who's counting."

"Sorry Goddess." The girl stood, looking everywhere but at the woman. "What is it you wish? Goddess."

"Sit beside him for a few hours while we're busy. I will keep my eye on him, but I want him to know that he's not alone. This is a request, Chiku, and not a command. Feel free to say no if you would rather not." It was spoken in a weary voice that said it already knew the answer.

"It would be my honor, Goddess."

"Thank you. Please hold his hand so that he knows you're there."

"I will Goddess." The girl stepped towards the shape shifter, only to stop. Kishar stood beside him, and obviously she couldn't bring herself to be so bold as to approach her.

"Come." Kishar pulled Raven to her feet.

"Where're we going?" The half-demon girl asked, reluctant to leave her boyfriend's side.

"To calculate the price."

"Huh?"

"You'll see." The woman looked at Chiku. "If you sing songs in English, Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo he'll understand them."

Raven blinked. _Since when does BB know five languages. _She wondered, still gazing at him, wanting only to sit beside him again and hold him. Kneeling down, she kissed his cheek. "Don't go getting any ideas just because you're going to have a pretty girl sitting beside you." She told him gently, wishing for some reaction. There was none.

"Don't worry." Kishar told her. "I once offered him any woman in the world as his, should he only choose another besides you. He turned it down. Then I offered him a thousand ..." She shrugged. "What can I say. He's stubborn."

The violet-eyed girl blinked, not sure if she should be offended that the demon had made her boyfriend such an offer, or floored by the fact that he'd refused it.

"Time is short." The woman told her, and the world around them changed, leaving behind a bewildered Chiku who slowly approached the boy to sit beside him, holding his hand. In a soft voice, she starting to sing of how the Tortoise overcame the Elephant and the Hippopotamus.

* * *

Raven looked around, seeing that they were in a library of sorts. Books, along with other items, filled bookshelves, while boxes and trunks were piled in stacks. Unlike her room though, this place was painted to resemble an outside setting. The floor was of pretty, yellow wildflowers and dark-green grass, while the walls in two directions were of trees filled with bright-red fruit. A third showed a mountain scene with a snow-capped peak, and the fourth a bluish-green ocean with islands in the distance. The ceiling was a pure black, decorated with twinkling lights to represent stars.

Turning, she watched as Kishar walked around the room to lift a gold-colored chest laced with silver onto a table that looked to be made of stone. Opening it the woman sorted through its contents, and pulled out a tiny sack.

"Here we go." The demon exclaimed, holding up a piece of fine, black thread that was about two feet long. For a while she twirled it around her fingers. "Has it been so long?" The woman wondered aloud, looking to be lost in thought. "It must be close to eight, or maybe more like nine, hundred million years now."

Raven gulped, not sure what to think of someone who spoke of such impossible lengths of time in such a matter. And now that she looked closer, she saw the thread had an aura, much as a single strand of hair would. Watching, she saw the woman, who had a slight smile, conjure a pair of scissors, and carefully cut off six one-half inch sections of the hair. Wrapping them in her power to keep them safe, she then returned the remainder to the sack, being gentle with what was obviously to her a very important treasure.

"Do you know why I can't just remove the memory of what he did?" Kishar asked, turning back to the half-demon girl.

"No. Thought I'm sure you have your reasons." She looked at the woman, hoping there would now be some further explanation.

"The crimes we commit in life, if not paid for in life are paid for in death."

"But he doesn't deserve ..." Raven paused, thinking. "He did it to protect everyone. Even most of those who Adonis would've killed, lived because of what he did."

"Still, he killed, and regret and remorse are how we pay. Money can't bribe Death, nor those who do the judging. They would laugh at you if you tried. Trust me, I've seen those who did just that, and I know Death really gets a kick out of it at times. Power doesn't impress them much either. Even I, who will live to see galaxies being born and die, don't casually commit crimes such as killing."

"You were going to." Raven pointed out.

"I was. I knew if I didn't then the one I was charged to keep in his prison would go free. Like my son I had to weigh the cost, and found I would kill billions to save a much greater number. Yet, there shall come a day when I will die, and on that day I would've paid. Just as I'll have to pay for those who I've killed in the past."

"You've killed?"

"I've killed killers who would've killed again. Still, for all my power, one day I'll have to answer for that. Even knowing as I do, that when they killed they lost all right to retribution it makes me uneasy. If I was wrong, then there'll be a price to pay. So, each time I made sure that killing was the only way to stop their crimes. If I made a mistake then I can only hope that my death won't be for a very long time, and that the regret that I feel will have absolved me of the sin. That is the only way. To regret."

"Oh." Raven looked nervously at the ground. "What are we going to do then?" She blinked when the world around her changed yet again. They now stood on a field of darkness that stretched into infinity. Above them glowed a featureless, pale-white sky.

"I wish to know how great his sin was, and how he might avoid paying the price." Kishar cast her power out in the form a pentagram, with a tiny piece of hair marking each point. "Sorry little flea." She then said, summing one of the tiny pests to her hand. Around it, she delicately tied the last segment of hair. Placing it in the center of the pentagram, she then cast a small fireball that turned it to dust. Unharmed, the nearly invisible fragment of hair sank to the floor.

* * *

"You would dare try to imprison me, Kishar?" A voice mockingly asked.

"I'm sorry. I just meant to get your attention." The demon cringed, and took a step back, staring nervously at the figure she'd conjured.

The young dark-haired woman, who wore black jeans and a black top, stepped forward to touch the line of the pentagram with her left foot. When the black sneakers she wore crossed the line there was a flash, and the person who laughed at the power of demon walked free. Dark eyes staring, she approached the woman who'd dared summon her. "Bleh! Don't be so formal Kisha. I'm just kidding. It's been so long." Leaning forward, her right hand rose to gently caress the woman's cheek, just as their lips met.

Puzzled, Raven watched, unable to turn away from the sight. Always she'd been afraid of her power, and worried about how it placed her above others. Now, as she stood staring, she realized just how low in the hierarchy of things she really was. Azar had stood above her, and then above her there was Kishar. Now above even her there was ... She swallowed, realizing both women were now obviously using tongue, yet still she was unable to look away. A minute turned into two, which became three, ... Somehow during that time, Kishar's hands had rose to gently hold the shoulders of the stranger, while those of the stranger had moved around Kishar, and then slid lower until they clasped cheeks of an entirely different nature.

"What?" Death of the Endless asked, turning to look at the half-demon girl who was still staring. "A girl has needs, and it's not like I can date a mortal. Things tend to go bad when that happens. Not that there's many who can see me. Trust me, when it comes to necromancers and witch doctors, the pickings aren't exactly all that great."

Raven stared.

"Well, there's my brothers." The woman continued when the girl didn't say anything. "But let's not go there." She shuddered.

Raven still continued to stare, violet-eyes opened wide..

"Then there's my sisters. But once again, let's not go there." The black-clad form turned a little green, and shuddered again. "No. Let's definitely not go there."

There was still no reaction from the shocked half-demon.

"Well. There's always Trigon ..." The pale form paused. "Not in ten trillion lifetimes." She said forcefully, looking like she wanted to puke. "My lifetime, not yours."

Raven still just stared.

"Hey. Am I speaking to myself here?" The woman leaned forward and waved her hand in front of the girl.

"Eeep." The half-demon suddenly jumped back.

"Yep, she's still alive." Death of the Endless turned back to Kishar with an amused grin, eyes sparkling with humor. "I can vouch for it, though for a while I wasn't sure."

"You know why I wanted to speak to you?" Kishar asked. Her own lips turned up in a small smile for a fraction of a section.

"I don't judge. I just carry out the job."

"I know. But ..." She closed her eyes. "He only did it to protect me, so I wouldn't feel the agony of killing so many... Please!"

"He saved billions." Raven finally spoke up.

The pale woman sighed, looking at the two with her dark eyes. "Reasons and intentions don't excuse. Trust me, I know a billion mass murderers who thought they were doing it for the best of whatever their respective races were. In the last month I've guided the souls of two-hundred and nineteen women that someone you know raped and then ripped the spines out of. When his time comes, do you know what he'll say. That he did it for the best of everyone, that if only the Great Adonis had ruled the world it would be a paradise."

"Don't place my son among such monsters." Kishar growled, eyes turning black. Beside her, Raven's own fury threatened to run amok.

"Sorry." Death waved her hand. "I just wanted to show that when it comes to the _final price _intentions have little value."

"Then what does?" Raven growled the words, feeling despair.

"Remorse." The pale woman said, meeting the stare of the half-demon whose eyes blazed as dark as her own. She smiled comfortingly before continuing in a voice that was gentle. "For that you should he happy. If a man kills a single child even to save a billion, yet feels no remorse, then he's damned. But if he kills a child, even by accident, and is struck down with remorse, then there's hope."

"How many children did he kill?" Kishar asked, suddenly looking weak. She looked at Raven to explain. "Children are special. They're the innocent, and harming one carries a very high price."

"Once again be glad." Death told them. "A dragon has the eyes of a bird." She looked at Raven. "You wouldn't know just what that means, but he would've known there were no children among those he killed. I've seen him, then again I've met everyone who's ever lived. His heart wouldn't have let him kill a kid."

Raven turned to see Kishar sink to the floor, eyes closed with relief written on her face.

"There were so many ... and in that crowd I knew there had to be some ..." The woman said, tears running down her face.

"Tsk." Death chided her with a shake of her head. "Who do you expect would answer a call to gain power to _dominate _others? Most of those in that group were far from being nice, and would've ruthlessly pushed to the front to stand beside that stone. The ones with kids would've sensed their coldness, and stayed away from them. They would've settled for the outer edge of the circle where no one was hurt." She looked at Kishar. "A few were injured when they stampeded to get away, but those you healed."

"No children were killed. He didn't even hurt anyway." Raven sighed, feeling something inside her swell in relief. Even for her that had been something that'd nagged at her mind. She sank to the ground.

The pale woman turned towards the half-demon girl. "He knows that in his mind, but his heart doesn't accept it. He's full of doubt, and wonders if he missed one who might've been hidden behind someone. He didn't, and his _final price _is not burdened by the weight of a child's life. Make sure he knows that."

"How many did he kill?" Kishar asked. "What's his _final price_?"

"Six thousand, one-hundred and twenty-nine, but as I said, most of those were not what you would call nice people. A lot were killers who felt no guilt, and as such will not carry any weight. At least not so long as he felt any remorse at all." She shrugged. "But there were two thousand and nineteen who had yet to kill. Not that any of them were what I would call nice either." She turned to Raven. "Look at it this way. Each soul is born with a value, which for simplicity we'll say is a hundred. Each action affects that value. If they do good, then that value stays high, and killing them will always carry a heavy price. But if they do harm without regret, then the price they can demand in retribution goes down."

"So that's how being judged works." Raven still sat on the floor, pondering what she'd heard.

"Pretty simple, huh?" Death sat beside her and grinned. "Pretty nifty the way it works. For example. A starving person can steal a loaf of bread from someone who has more than enough, and if they regret it even a little then it carries no price. But if a rich person even carelessly robs a nickle from a poor man, then in the end it's going to cost him a lot more than just money."

"BB feels a lot of regret." The violet-eyed girl met the kind gaze of the pale woman.

Death of the Endless nodded, looking serious. "I know. That the regret was so intense that he planned to join them pretty much cleans the slate."

Raven blinked. "Huh?"

"He feels true remorse, and was willing to make a true sacrifice of himself. That he didn't was only due to the actions of others. So long as he looks back on what he did with guilt, then it will play no part in his _final price."_

"Oh." The half-demon girl sobbed, and the woman slid closer, holding a comforting arm around her. "What you need to worry about now is that he learns how to handle that guilt. That it becomes merely a warning to never take a life lightly. You need to make him want to live."

"How?"

"He came to Africa to find the answer to a question. Answer that question for him?"

"Huh?" She wiped at the tears.

"He wanted to know where he belonged. Convince him that he belongs in Africa with his mother, and then he will start to believe that he still has a place in the world. Let him know that he still belongs in your heart, and he will accept that he has value. Have the one you call Robin once again believe in him as a Titan, and he will know that he isn't a monster."

"Oh." Immediately her mind went to work on how to change Boy Wonder's mind.

"I don't suppose inserting a few suggestions in Robin's mind would be enough?" Kishar asked, looking relieved with a giddy smile on her face.

"Don't think so lowly of him. He would be smart enough to sense such a change." Death of the Endless looked up to chide the woman with a mock look of anger. Then, with a wink she turned it into a smile.

"Didn't think so."

"Say." The pale woman turned back to Raven, looking mischievous. "You're cute, and BB's not too bad either. Want a threesome?" She asked huskily, whispering in the girl's ear.

"Eeek." Raven shrieked, suddenly aware of the arm that was wrapped comfortingly around her. Now it seemed to be more than just comfort that it suggested.

"Thought not." Death of the Endless sighed. "Still, a girl needs to have a little fun." She leaned in and swiftly gave Raven a peck on the lips. "Don't feel too much guilt over it." She told the shocked girl. "After all, I plan to take one from him as well so it'll be even." With a wicked grin, and eyes that sparkled with mischievousness, she vanished from the room.

"Great." Kishar intoned. "How am I supposed to have any sexual fantasies about her now, knowing she's kissed both my son _and _my future daughter-in-law?"

"Gaa..." Raven replied, blinking with a hand raised to her lips.

"Hrm."

The suddenly serious tone caused the shocked girl to look up.

"She's blocking me from leaving." Kishar told her, sounding worried, though not panicked.

* * *

Chiku stopped her melodic singing, and looked up to see a massive tiger walk out of the forest. "Goddess." She whispered fearfully, clutching at the hand that she'd only lightly held before.

Hearing the slight sound the great cat turned towards the girl, showing red eyes while saliva dripped from its bone-white fangs. That the beast was rabid was obvious to anyone who'd grown up in the jungle. With a savage snarl, it unhesitatingly turned and launched itself at the helpless prey

Not willing to forsake her duty, Chiku threw herself over one the she'd been charged to protect. "Kishar." She screamed the name in absolute terror.

For a long time he'd heard the singing, and had ignored it. It was beautiful, and as such was nothing a monster like him should hear. Why he lived he didn't know, and didn't care. He expected death would eventually come for him. Then the sound of the song faded, and his every sense felt the fear that radiated from the girl. It's reek filled his nostrils, causing them to flare while his ears heard the tremor in her voice as well the way her heart suddenly raced. The frantic way her hands clutched his suggested panick. Then the warmth of a soft, and very feminine, body was pressed over him in an obvious attempt to protect, even as inches from his ears the girl shrieked his mother's name in a terror filled tone that knew death was upon them.

He shouldn't have cared, but he did. His mother was the protector of this land, and that was what he'd come to hope to be; a mlinzi, a protector. That someone would give their life for him was intolerable. That something would endanger one of his mother's people on her land was unthinkable. At least while he could move and breath, while he could fight. Bright-green eyes opened, already having been warned what the danger was by the rumble it made as it breathed, and the stench that permeated the air. Creating a half human, half cheetah form, the shape shifter merged in the genes to enhanced his muscles and bones.

Even as the tiger was within inches of tearing into the girl who protected him, his left hand lashed up to grab it by the throat. With some effort, he brought the eleven foot, nine-hundred pound beast to halt, and tossed it away, Rising, he left the girl slid away from him, unharmed. He would knock the rabid creature out and wait for his mother to return. She would heal it, and that was much better than killing the poor creature who hadn't chosen its diseased state. He suddenly stopped, staring. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"So you live?"

The boy blinked as the great cat changed form, becoming a woman clad in black. Her dark hair and dark eyes were memorizing, and though he would never say it aloud he thought she might be, next to Raven, the second most beautiful woman in the world. "Who are you?" He demanded again.

"I am what you were waiting for. But now that I'm here, I think I'll take the life of girl behind you rather than yours." She smiled coyly at him. "If you can stop me, I'll give you a reward."

"I'm the one you ..." The woman gave him no time to think as she moved to attack, keeping her human form. Being part cheetah his speed far exceeded that of most people, yet he was pressed back, and though his foe used no weapons, the blows she landed crushed bones. Repeatedly he tried to get in an attack of his own, but they always seemed to miss by inches or less. Healing his broken form, the shape shifter made sure to keep the frightened girl at his back.

"Unless you fight with everything you have, you'll lose." Death smiled at the boy, and licked her lips. "Surely you don't want the girl to die."

He didn't reply as a fist smashed through his defenses to shatter several ribs and collapse a lung. It was followed by another that made him see double when it cracked his skull, causing a concussion. Immediately he shifted, healing the crippling wounds. "I'm the one ..." He managed to gasped out before more ribs, despite their enhanced state, were broken.

"Is irrelevant. All I demand is that you fight as hard as you can." The woman spoke nonchalantly, as if the shape shifter wasn't even taxing her at all. "Show me the most powerful form you can use, and I'll stop. She and you will live."

"No." Beast Boy growled. "I never want to use that accursed form again." He lashed out, ignoring the pain that racked his body to try to land a blow. It proved useless. The woman's speed was just too incredible.

"Why? Because you once grasped it to save your world, to save your mother from unending grief?

"I used it to kill thousands." He sent power into his hands, and formed a knife that he kept hidden. When she moved in to slam a blow into his stomach that punctured several vital organs, he lashed out and threw it, hoping to take her by surprise.

"I'm Death. Don't you think I know that?" She snatched the blade out of the air, and sent it back so that it sliced into his heart.

"Then why not just end me? I'm a monster."

"If you regret, then you're no monster." The woman slapped aside his talon endowed hand with effortless ease, shattering the boy's entire arm.

"How can you say that?"

"Because you choose to die rather than live with what you did. Because the guilt was too much for you to bear. A monster would've just shrugged it off with a fake look of sorrow, and then gone and done the same thing the next day. Do you ever plan to kill again?" She stared across the clearing at him.

"No." The boy shrieked his answer in heartrending pain, falling to his hands and knees. "Never." He violently swore, still making sure to keep the girl safe at his back, though he knew the one he faced could easily reach her.

"Remember what happened, and never let the guilt completely fade away. Remember, if you wish to be a Mlinzi, that you've chosen to be the one to bear pain that others may live in peace."

"I failed in that." He growled the reply in soul shattering agony that caused the woman to flinch.

"I know. But that's why people were given regret and remorse. So long as you feel those things, then you're no monster. And if they are true feelings, then the next time it will give you pause, and hopefully such an atrocity won't be necessary."

"And if I fail again?"

The woman shrugged. "It was only chance that the guilt didn't kill you this time. If you're no monster then the next time it happens I expect that it'll be the same, and that I'll be guiding your soul to the afterlife or to reincarnation, whichever it may be." Her dark eyes focused to bore chillingly into his in dire warning. "If there's no grief then you will have become a monster, and unfortunately it might be some time before I get to collect your soul."

"Will you truly kill the girl if I don't become a dragon?" He studied her closely, making sure she told the truth.

"I will." Death of the Endless lied with a smile. "I take trillions every day, what's one more?"

Beast Boy gulped. "Why make me show that form?"

"Because you wish to be a protector, do you not?"

He nodded.

"Especially a protector of a certain girl whose eyes and hair are violet, or so I hear?" She smiled. "A girl who has Trigon as a father."

"I do?"

"Trust me. If you have to fight him as a cat, he'll skin you to make a pair of gloves." The woman shrugged. "Either that or he'll kill himself laughing, which would make me one happy girl."

Slowly, forcing himself through each hated step, Beast Boy tried to use the form of a dragon again. First the Kryptonian gene to boost his power to its full potential, and then the shift that drained him of everything. Wobbling, he collapsed.

"Not quite." Death spoke. "Fill your energy, and use the wards you know to enhance your strength."

"Why?"

"Because those are parts of what you used, hence they are part of the form I want to see."

Reluctantly he obeyed and stood, knowing with a single breath he could level huge sections of the forest. It wasn't a nice feeling.

"Okay." The woman smiled. "It seems I'll be collecting neither your nor her souls today.

Beast Boy returned to his human form, startled to find the pale woman, whose beauty was exceeded only by the girl he loved, just inches from him. Before he could react, she leaned in to give him a quick kiss that was slightly less chaste than the one she'd given Raven.

"I don't see why mortals should get all the fun." The grinning figure mischievously winked at the shocked boy, and vanished.

Seconds later, Kishar and Raven appeared in the clearing.

* * *

End of Chapter.

Why use a deux ex machina, when you can use an Endless ex machina? Without the reviews Zatanna would never have been added to the story, and neither would Death of the Endless. Over all, I would like to think they add a bit to it that fleshes it out.

Interestingly enough, no matter how powerful I make Beast Boy is this story, I doubt anyone can say he's overpowered. Not when there's people like Death of the Endless in it.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	29. Chapter 29

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

* * *

_**The Rape?,... How Many Times is Okay?,... A Minor Villain Returns,... Dreams,...**_

Raven didn't know how to react. Her boyfriend was no longer staring blank-eyed into space, but looking directly at her. Without thinking, she automatically reached out with her empathic senses: fear, shame, guilt, sorrow. Those filled him, and bordered on consuming him again, threatening to drag the one she loved back into a comatose state. Feeling helpless, she teleported to the boy, and wrapped her arms around him, desperately hoping to protect him.

Beast Boy raised his hands to push the girl away, not understanding how she could still love him, only that she did. "Stop." He pleaded, needing a chance to think. The world around them briefly became cool as the girl ignored him, still holding him in a death grip. When he looked around he realized they were in the hot springs normally used for bathing, and that the cold sensation had been her teleporting them. The warmth of the water permeated the puzzled boy who had no time to react before the violet-eyed girl mercilessly pushed his head under the surface. Mouth shut, eyes wide, he briefly considered that she might be just killing him, If so then it was a silly attempt given he could just turn into a fish, but still... The overwhelmed boy relaxed, and decided if that was what she wanted then so be it.

She pulled his head from the water. "You let Death kiss you, didn't you?"

"Well ..." There was a small swirl of bubbles as his head went under again.

"You're ours." The girl told the boy, pulling him up so that he could breathe. "Understood?" There was a red glow to her eyes, and a very predatory look on her face.

"Completely." He decided, realizing it was best to just agree. Then, to his surprise, her lips met his, forcefully and demanding. "Raven?" He asked breathlessly when she finally released the kiss of death. There was no response as inhumanly strong hands started to rip at his clothes. "I don't think this is a good time. You know what I did." Obviously not liking the idle talk, she pushed him under again.

"What?" She asked, pulling him up. "You never had trouble making out with me before? But she kissed you, and now you do?" For a brief second she had four glowing-red eyes.

"I love making out with you but ..." There was a spray of water as his head went under.

"No buts." The half-demon stated, letting him breathe once again. "Except for this one." She tore his suit, exposing his briefs. "And this one." She firmly grabbed his hands, and placed them on her behind.

"Raven, what I ..." He raise his hands to push her away, only to go under again for a full five seconds.

"Hands back where they belong." The girl instructed, or rather commanded, and smiled when the boy obeyed. Her lips descended to met his.

"What I did ..." As his head went under, he held his breath, having expected it.

"I saw." Raven told him, pulling his head from the water. "I also smelled it, and sensed the sheer agony. Being an empath really sucks at times. I can't believe you did it, but I accept that you did. It was necessary, and even Death says you're not a monster."

"But ..." He went under again.

"Hands back where they belong." The girl insisted, pulling him back up several seconds later. She smiled at him again when he obediently listened. "Remember back when you asked me to make you a promise?"

"Huh?" Beast Boy blinked, trying to focus his mind enough to recall what she meant.

"That I never place your life above mine. And I refused." She settled down in the water, fitting her body to his.

"I recall."

"I'll promise you this. I'll never let you place your life above that of an innocent. If you ever become a monster, then I'll bring you back to your senses, or I'll kill you. I swear that if you do something like that again, and you walk away without blinking an eye, then I'll make sure it's the last time." She laid her head against his. _Then I'll kill myself. _She silently added, holding him in her arms.

"Okay." His voice was laced with reluctance, but he knew she would keep the promise. It would have to be enough. He wrapped his own arms around the girl he loved, and held her close. "Thank you."

For a while Raven was content just to rest against her boyfriend. Despite all the self-hate that came from him, she could still sense that bright and beautiful light that was his love for her. Touching it with her empathic senses, it filled her with contentment. Her hands started to wander.

"I really don't think ..."

"Beast Boy, for this you don't have to think." She quieted him with her lips.

"But ..." He started to say when she moved downward, planting tiny kisses all along his neck. Once again there were bubbles when the girl pushed him under.

"Hands where they belong." She instructed him a few seconds later. "Really. How hard is that to remember?" She continued to kiss him. First back to his lips, and then down to his neck again. Slowly, she moved lower, working on his chest while her right hand reached under the water and found to her delight that he really appreciated her efforts. It wasn't as if she'd had much experience. Other than dead-fish Jonathan, who she'd once tried to work some excitement into, there'd only been the two psychopaths by the names of Malchior and Mark. Curious, while she gradually moved from his chest to his stomach, she furtively tried to use her hand to measure him. She blinked. _Is that supposed to fit? _The girl asked herself, pausing. She used her fingers to try to guess just how thick he was. _No way. _She decided.

"You know, any one of a thousand people from Kishar's village could be watching." Beast Boy told the girl. He wanted to stop her. Even if he loved her, and knew she still loved him, it felt wrong for a monster to be happy. Through their connection he could sense so many emotions: worry, contentment, satisfaction, joy, love. They mixed with his own, and he didn't know how to respond. He just knew that for a monster this was wrong.

"So." Raven shrugged, and moved her mouth several inches lower. She wasn't sure what to do here, since she'd never gotten this far with any of the others, but even if he was still surrounded by guilt and hesitant, she knew her boyfriend was enjoying it. She grinned, able to sense the pleasure through her empathic senses. Unable to resist the urge to satisfy her own needs, she suddenly sat up and straddled her boyfriend. _Time to see if it does fit. _She gulped.

"You're ..." Beast Boy opened his eyes.

"I dated people." The lust-filled girl sighed, eyes closed. "I've never got this far before. I swear, if I hear the Tower alarm now, I'll rip any so-called villain into a dozen pieces." A few seconds later she knew it would fit just fine. When her _lover_ raised a hand to play with her left breast it somehow impossibly added to the pleasure. The other he placed on her hip, guiding her. _By Azar. _She silently moaned, eyes glowing with a grin of pure rapture on her face.

* * *

The relentless downpour soaked the ground, causing small streams that either gushed along until they disappeared into the foliage, or soaked into the thirsty ground. Within the jungle there were no worries, each drop would be found by something, plant or animal or insect, and made use of. Beneath a shelter of dark magic, Raven sat and watched the rain with her boyfriend's head in her lap. The danger to the world was over, and if the cost had been horrible, she could now rest a little. There was still work to be done when it came to getting BB back as a Titan, but she had hope. After all, she was the blue-clad emoticlone who represented just that. Gently, her fingers twirled green hair, while she pondered matters that were important to her.

_Is eleven times in three hours normal? _She wondered. _Sure, I've read numbers for that sort of thing in books, but ... _She sighed. _Maybe he expects more... Maybe I should wake him up and ... _The half-demon girl grinned. _A few more times won't hurt_.

"At that rate, I think I'll be a grandmother in no time at all." Kishar spoke, appearing in the rain. "Trust me. If he were human, that would've killed him."

Raven blinked, turning a bright red. "How do you know?" She hissed, looking down at the sleeping shape shifter.

"You're shouting it out. It's hard not to hear thoughts when they're so loud."

"Oh." The girl gulped.

"There's one little problem with getting him back as a Titan." Kishar sank down to sit beside them. Her hand gently reached out to cover the one the girl held on her son's head, and contentment filled her face. "Or perhaps I should say two."

"Two? I know we got to convince Robin, but what's the other?"

"I edited their memories. How can he reconsider my son's position as a Titan, when he can't even remembers what happened."

"Oh." Raven frowned, looking thoughtful. "True. BB could always return as a Titan since no one recalls what he did, but I doubt that's what Death of the Endless meant."

"No. The leader must accept him back despite knowing what happened. My son respects him, and thus his opinions have power over him. If this one says he's no monster, then he himself will believe it."

"Much as I respect Robin myself, those are two major roadblocks." Raven sighed, staring into the rain. "If you return his memories, someone like Zatanna could easily read his mind, and that could lead to a ton of problems. Then there's how to convince someone who's sometimes borderline psycho to change their views." She looked at the woman. "Assuming you can undo what you did?"

"I can. I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on him, and make sure no one sees the secrets I wish to keep hidden."

"Is that hard?"

"No. But I hate to invade people's privacy. In the last few days I've done it so often that it just doesn't feel right. Remember, it's not just killing that affects the _final price_. Each action is weighed, and has some effect."

"What's the cost of sex? Because if that's wrong, then I'm a goner."

Kishar laughed. "You needn't worry. If both agree, then the _price_ for that is zero. On the other hand, I doubt editing the memories of people is quite so benign. And that I've done tens of thousands of times in the last few days. Still, for the one I know who would do anything for me any price is okay."

Raven looked at kind woman, seeing the way she gazed at her son. "He's lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have him." Kishar stood and waved her hand, and her son disappeared.

"Where?"

"In his bed. I'm sure he won't mind if you join him later." There was a hint of amusement in the woman's voice.

"He better not." The half-demon girl muttered, turning red. "After all, a girl has needs." She echoed the words of Death of the Endless, and Kishar laughed.

"Infuse your soul with my body, and watch while I take care of a little problem your Robin has. It's time for you to learn a few new tricks."

"A few new tricks?"

"In many ways you're well-trained, but in others you wield your power rather crudely." The woman shrugged. "If you wish to learn that is."

"Sure." Raven stood, eager to learn from the demon..

"When you use your power, I will guide it. Just relax, and watch. No one will get hurt."

The world around them flickered.

* * *

"Dude. We need more firepower." Cyborg yelled, pulling the T-car back when a jeep was hurled at it.

"We need better prisons." Robin replied, rushing in to throw explosive discs at the walking titanium-reinforced tower of granite that went by the name of Cinderblock.

"Friends. You both speak the truth. But please keep your eye on the villain." Starfire pleaded, dodging a car, and then a van. When a small tractor came at her, she gave ground, and raced back to a safer distance.

"I'm sending an emergency request to Titans East." The leader informed them. "We'll pull back and wait. Starfire, you stay above him and distract him. Try to keep him from wandering so he doesn't do more damage. Don't risk yourself though."

"I will not, friend Robin." The girl rushed to obey. Standing in the air two-hundred feet above the giant one-man demolition crew, she timed her starbolts for one every twenty seconds. The dimwitted villain stared up, and flung another car. It fell short by just a few feet, and the girl flew a little higher. Her attacks would keep the granite mountain focused on her so he didn't wreak more havoc on Jump City. The slow rate of fire meant she wouldn't tire herself out.

Not fighting with a full team, they were overwhelmed, and at such times things usually go wrong. Robin and Cyborg, not wanting to leave Starfire alone watched while she held Cinderblock's attention. But even he wasn't so dimwitted as to focus too long on a target he couldn't reach. Without warning a small truck flew at the T-car. Cyborg had taken his foot off the gas, and had no time to react. Robin, was standing beside the vehicle, talking on the T-communicator. While he could save himself easily, he paused to glance frantically at his friend.

"Miss me?" Raven intoned, creating a black barrier. The half-demon girl studied how Kishar twisted her power, and refocused it. Hardening, it took solid form that was little more than a slanted wall. It did little to stop the oncoming truck that hurled at them, merely redirecting it a few degrees to the right so that it missed them. _I see. So much less power, but the effect is the same. And the psychic shock on me was a lot less as well. Hardly any strain at all._

"Raven?" Robin greeted the girl with a clear sigh of relief, still keeping his eye on Cinderblock.

"Thanks." Cyborg wiped imaginary sweat from his brow.

"Hey." The leader's voice suddenly sounded frantic. "Get away. He's dangerous."

"It's okay." Raven told him, realizing that when Kishar edited their memories, she must have changed her appearance.

Standing amidst several signs that advertised construction equipment, Cinderblock grabbed a four-ton tractor and sent it flying. The blonde-haired woman didn't blink, but merely reached up and snatched it out of the air, not bothering to use magic for something so trivial.

"Strong." Cyborg gulped, readying his sonic cannon. He froze and stared, as did all three of them when the villain vanished.

"Where is he?" Robin walked forward, demanding an answer. His hand rested beside his satchel.

"Does it matter?" The demon asked, looking at him impassively.

"Of course it does. Just because he's a villain doesn't mean you can hurt him?"

"If you must know, he's now on Mercury." Kishar stated.

"Where?" Robin asked, looking confused.

"You mean the planet Mercury?" Cyborg gulped. "That's harsh."

"Why? There he can wander and eat to his heart content. Why would it be harsh?"

"It's too hot." The cybernetic teen exclaimed. "I don't recall just how hot, but it'll kill a person instantly."

"A human. But he isn't human, and the conditions there will suit him. It has no oxygen environment to irritate him as there is here. It's also a world with many heavy metals. He'll be able to eat as much as he desires."

"Oh." Robin blinked. "But isn't that rather far away. How did you send him there? And how do we know for sure he's okay?"

"Just remember." Kishar said crossly, reaching out with a hand to lay a finger on his forehead. "But know this mortal, betray my secrets or harm my son, and there will be a price a to pay."

The world flickered, and Raven looked around to see they were back in Africa. "Weren't you a bit short with him?"

"He has my son's life in his hands." The demon replied. "If he decides Garfield is a monster, then my son might still choose to die."

* * *

The boy dreamed the dream for the first time. Standing, unable to act, he watched in absolute anguish as all he loved perished.

* * *

End of Chapter.

In case you can't tell, I'm not really into writing lemon scenes for these stories.

_Many thanks to those who read and review._


	30. Chapter 30

**I do NOT own Teen Titans**

_Notes and replies to comments:_

_Time: Two weeks later._

* * *

_**Choose,... Prison Break,... Nevermore,... The (Something) Room,... A Titan,...**_

Despite all the caffeine pills and stimulants he'd taken, sleep relentlessly crept upon the weary boy, and then swiftly drew him under. Once again the dream started. The one where he would watch as all he knew, and loved, would die because he couldn't decide. When a figure wearing a helm made of bone appeared before him, he cringed, sobbing as he pitifully pleaded for mercy.

"Choose, and the nightmare will end." The deep voice held a hint of sympathy. "Why she would want to play such a game, I don't know. But if you wish for this to cease, then you must make a decision." His eyes gained a faraway look, and took on the appearance of brightly-glowing, white stars. "Which will die? Decide before the end of the dream, or both will perish."

The ground beneath their feet that was as black as night vanished, and the boy who'd been pushed to the brink of madness stood at the top of Titan's Tower, knowing this was all too real. Above him, still barely a pinprick in the distance there was a ball of ice with a faintly luminous tail of vapor that seemed to stretch endlessly across the night sky. Like an arrow of death, the massive comet arched for the Earth, destined to bring doom to the whole world.

The hero looked down at the device he held in his hands. It aimed, and would fire the weapon that'd been created in a rush by the team. In the chaos that now spread across the globe, he'd been the only one left to use it. The others were frantically busy as they futilely tried to stem the tides of panic that threatened the Earth with as much destruction as the harbinger in the sky. Trembling, he raised it, but didn't take aim. He could save the world, but only at a horrible cost. There'd been no time to finished the containment for the Xentronium powered laser. When it fired it would destroy the comet by reducing it to vapor, but Jump City would perish in a blast of fire as hot as the sun's core. He would be the butcher of millions.

However, Cyborg had worked out a way to use the Xentronium to send the City ten years forward in time. With all that power they could create a magnetic field that would alter the temporal flux for a ten miles radius. Safe within they could ride out the death throes, and emerge unharmed. His city would be safe, as would his friends and his team. But if he did that, then he would've let billions die for his own selfish gains.

Sobbing the boy dropped to his knees while in his ear a deep and powerful voice urged him to choose. _Butcher millions, or save the world?_ "No." He screamed, knowing no one could hear him. Already fear had sent many towns and cities into chaos. Here the Titans had managed to stem that horrible tide, but not for much longer. He had to decide. Gulping in horror, he stared at the hateful device.

If he saved the city then ... He shook his head. It wasn't fear for his own life that made him want to take that dreadful course. It was the place he'd sworn to protect, and here was where most of his friends were. It was his home. But if he failed to save the world then ...

He wept as something inside him broke, and he let the device drop to the roof. It landed with that outrageously large red button pointing up. _Save the world and kill his friends? Or let the world die and save his friends? _The foreign voice echoed in his mind, reinforcing his own tortuous thoughts. _Kill a city, or let the world die. Choose!_

"I'm sorry." The voice came our hoarsely, mixed with sobbing. Finally, after having dreamt the dream fourteen times only to stand in indecision as everything perished, he decided. "At least I will die with them." The boy spoke as he pressed the button.

The world vanished, and he stared up to see the man with the helmet of bones looking down at him. "You finally chose." The figure said. "There was no right or wrong answer. Just that you had to make a decision, and understand that sometimes the choice isn't easy."

* * *

Raven awoke with a yawn, and snuggled closer to the boy who slept beside her. Content to wait, she smiled. Soon her boyfriend would wake up, and they would make love. How many times varied a lot. Sometimes it was just three or four, but once it'd been over twenty. Being part demon had its advantages, and she found herself pitying those who were merely human. Her violet-eyes briefly flashed red when she heard the T-communicator beep.

Reaching out she plucked the device off a table, and flipped it open. The text read, 'Jail break at Jump City Prison. Could use your help. Robin.' The girl sighed, and quickly rose to get dressed. Seeing how badly the team had been outmatched with Cinderblock, she'd asked Kishar if there was any way she would allow her to bring a T-communicator with her. The woman had assented, merely demanding that it have no tracking device.

During their studies, the demon had taught her how to use beacons. Much like a ward she infused it with a part of her soul, but its only purpose was to make teleporting easier. During such an act she had to be aware of where she was trying to move from, as well as the place she was hoping to reach. That took a lot of concentration. With a beacon she could focus less on that, and more on the act of teleporting itself. With a few other tricks, she could now, if she tried hard, move between Kishar's house and the Tower without help. Which made her happy beyond words. She could talk to Starfire in the morning, and check on Cyborg and his _baby. _Then she could hop back to the house to spend time with BB. It was the best of both worlds.

* * *

Straining a little, the half-demon girl appeared in her room beside a small rock that she'd created as a beacon. Then, effortlessly, she teleported to the common's room. "What's happening?" She asked.

"Good evening, friend Raven." Starfire dashed over to hug her.

"Morning Star." Raven hugged the girl back, feeling the pure sense of joy the girl had at seeing her. Now that she'd released some of her controls on her own emotions, such things didn't bother her so much anymore.

"How's B?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes. How is friend Beast Boy?" Starfire's eyes lit up. "Is he going to return soon?"

"He's ... okay." That was sort of true. The guilt still tore at him, but he was coping. She noticed that Robin said nothing, and merely looked at the ground with a tired frown. The boy himself also looked worn out. "How're you coping?" She asked him, knowing it had to be hard. He alone knew what Beast Boy had done.

"I'm fine." He gave her a smile that looked forced while his face was pale. "Let's go."

Raven nodded. Easily, she teleported them to the entrance of Jump City Prison. She'd made a number of beacons and placed them throughout the city. It was late, maybe ten pm, and getting dark, but the area was lit up as bright as day with search lights.

The plan was simple. Cyborg would sit on one corner of the large stone wall that surrounded the high-security facility, and stun anyone who tried to leave with his sonic cannon. Starfire would do the same with the opposite corner using starbolts. Raven and Robin would enter the prison, and then separate to take down the various criminals. If they spotted an actual villain they would use the T-communicator to call for help.

The violet-eyed girl moved carefully, using her empathic senses to scan ahead for anyone plotting an ambush. Simple blasts of her soulself knocked unconscious the various normal prisoners she encountered. Then there were the not so normal.

"Mine is bigger than yours." A naked man shrieked loudly, jumping from behind a door with a large salami in each hand.

_Where does a prisoner get salami? _Raven wondered. Focusing her power, she created a double-edged blade and spun it rapidly. Sending it flying at the man, the blade hummed as it turned, slicing the sausage in his left hand into paper-thin slices. The man gulped, suddenly looking very pale. Carefully manipulating the deadly weapon, the amused girl repeated it for the one he held in his right.

"I don't have one. But my boyfriend's is bigger than yours." She intoned, aiming the blade with it molecular-sharp edge at his groin. She thought she liked the new tricks Kishar was teaching her. They certainly came in handy at times.

Eyes wide, the man tracked the blade as its humming edge crept closer to his most prized possession. "Ack!" He screamed as he raced back in a prison cell. He firmly slid the door shut, and it automatically locked with a click.

"Wise move." Raven intoned, letting the magic weapon fade.

"Interesting style." A voice mused. "I like it."

Raven glanced behind her. "Zatanna?" She intoned, making it a question.

"There's a number of prisoners here who could be dangerous if they got free. The Justice League thought a little help would be in order."

"I see." The Titan turned back to her main task, and quietly walked forward. The backup was welcomed since it probably meant Robin was no longer alone elsewhere in the building, but she would've appreciated someone other than the magician.

She approached the infirmary, using her empathic senses to locate the three people inside, and realized there seemed to be a fight going on. The girl carefully used her power to open the door, and peered in. "Huh?" She stopped, stunned by what she saw. Gizmo stood in the middle of the room, covered in bandages. Some she knew was from when Rage had held him up in a lightning storm ages ago, while the others were from she'd decided to use the concrete floor of a bank to try to clobber him. Both his arms and legs were in thick white casts, and he wore a neck brace of some sort. Still, standing on a stool, arms outstretched like a zombie since he couldn't bend them, he was fiddling with the medical equipment, and had conjured up some sort of x-ray laser.

"Take that." The pint-sized villain yelled, using it to keep two nurses hiding behind a cot. "Take that." He screamed again. Hearing the door open he looked, and the blood rushed from his face. "It's the witch." He screamed, eyes going wide as he dropped to the floor. Something on his chest started to buzz.

"He's having a heart attack." A dark-haired woman rushed out from her place of safety, and grabbed two paddles that sent out sparks when they brushed against each other. "Cindy. Get out here." She ordered.

"If only all the criminals were that easy." Zatanna said, sounding a bit in awe. "What's your secret? Did you threaten to cut off any of his parts?"

Raven shrugged, and after she saw the villain's eyes open, moved on. She didn't want to kill him by giving him another heart attack. _Wow. Seems Rage really creates a lasting impression. _She mused, blasting a common criminal with a bit of her soulself.

* * *

"They got everything under control." Robin said when they regrouped again beside the prison wall. "All the villains are back in their cells, and only two of the common criminals got free. He looked at Raven. "By the way, Gizmo will be okay."

"Good to know." The violet-haired girl intoned.

"Hey. Why don't us girls go and celebrate a clean-cut victory." Zatanna told her and Starfire, wrapping an arm around the half-demon's shoulder. "I know this place with great herbal tea, and really good chocolate muffins." She grinned at them both.

"No thanks." Raven replied, looking at the arm that didn't move.

Robin looked thoughtful, and glanced st Starfire. "Hey Stay, I could use a light snack before I go to sleep. Want to get a muffin with me?"

The eyes of the Tamaranean lit up. "I would indeed friend Robin." Moving faster than the eye could follow, she was suddenly by his side, gripping his arm. "Sorry." She suddenly let go when he winced in pain.

"No problem. I wouldn't mind holding hands with you, just try not to break any bones." The masked boy smiled at the girl.

"Eeeek!" The orange-skinned alien immediately took him up on his offer.

"Come on." Zatanna smiled, pulling at Raven. "I really want to know what you did with that Adonis fellow. I mean, every doctor we had looked at him, and they're baffled."

"I'm sure he just had a nervous breakdown." The half-demon intoned. "I got to get Cyborg back to the Tower. Talk to you later." With a very faint fake smile, she grabbed her cybernetic friend, and teleported away.

Deciding to check on Nevermore, she headed to her room, and entered her mirror.

* * *

"Peppy." Happy yelled, pushing Rage.

"No. Wrath." Rage countered, pushing back with her eyes aglow.

"Love?" Affection suggested, smiling at the others.

"Alexandria." Knowledge spoke as if that decided the matter, but still shoved Rage.

"How about Burp?" Rude asked hopefully.

"No." Shouted Happy, Rage, Knowledge, Sloth, Brave, and Affection. Timid was in the background violently shaking her head.

"Courage." Brave said, clearing thinking it would settle matters.

"Filth." Sloth added her opinion to the matter.

"No." Happy, Rage, Knowledge, Sloth, Brave, and Affection shouted again. Still in the background, Timid shuddered, and looked pale at the thought.

"Mind if I interrupt?" Raven asked, noting no one had turned to look at her.

"Snappy then?" Happy wondered.

"How about Fury?" Rage wondered.

"Joy?" Affection murmured.

"I still think Alexandria would be best." Knowledge told them. "Or maybe Bookie."

"Noble?" Brave wondered.

"QUIET." Raven yelled, and silence descended on the area. "What's the racket about?" She asked.

"We're trying to decide on baby names?" Knowledge told her.

"Why?"

"Duh! Because we want a good name for any children we have." Rage told her. "You can't let those things wait until the last minute."

Shaking her head, and clenching her teeth,. Raven pondered what to do. "Whatever." She finally said. "Just don't expect any too soon. I'm definitely not ready." She left the madhouse, wondering why she was the only sane one amongst them all. _Probably why I got to be in control. _The girl mused.

* * *

Back in Africa the girl looked at the time. Seven am. The whole prison break thing, along with the bizarre trip to Nevermore, had only taken an hour. When she saw BB had already woke up, she frowned. They usually started their love making in bed, and then ended up in the hot springs. When she went to look for him, she realized something. The structure of the house had changed. It was definitely larger now, and had two to three more good-sized rooms.

"Redecorating?" She asked, finding Kishar.

"Just a few changes. What do you think?" The demon focused, and the room turned a pretty pink.

"Ack!" Raven stepped back. "Evil pink." She muttered, recalling just how much of that Azar accursed color there was in Nevermore. _Maybe that's why the emoticlones are nuttier than a fruitcake_. The overwhelmed girl mused. _Too much pink. If I were to change it ..._

"Guess not. How about this?" Kishar focused again, and the walls turned a pale blue.

"Expecting company?" The violet-eyed girl asked, looking at the color. "How about dark blue? As in dark dark." She suggested.

"Hardly fitting for a children's room. Especially a girl's" The demon shook her head. "Definitely not." She focused, and there were three small cribs in the room. "Maybe choose the furniture first, and then match the walls." The woman mused.

"Kids are coming to visit?" Raven asked, looking curiously at the cribs.

"Umm. Sort of." Kishar looked at the girl, appearing perplexed. "It's for the children you and Garfield will have."

"Aren't you rushing things a little?"

"No. Nine months doesn't take long to past."

"Nine months. We're not having kids for years." The blushing girl violently shook her head.

"Well. That usually how long it takes to have a baby." Kishar frowned. "Don't you know."

Raven blinked, feeling a little weird. Using her empathic senses she studied her body. "I'm pregnant." She shrieked, shocked. Her violet-eyed flickered, showing confusion.

"Well." Kishar shrugged. "Having sex twenty odd times a day will generally do that to a girl."

"But how?" She sat down on the floor.

"Didn't Azar ever have the bird and the bees talk with you? That was rather ..."

"No." Raven cried with her face turning red. "I know all about that. But I made sure I wouldn't get pregnant unless I wanted to."

"Oh?"

The girl sat, pondering for a few seconds. "I did want to." She realized. "Almost losing him frightened me, and I needed to make sure I would always have a part of him with me." She raised her hand to her belly, still looking a little confused, but also happy. Eyes blinking, she then turned to look around the room. "Why three cribs though? Isn't that a bit excessive for a kid."

"Hrm." Kishar looked at her. "We really got to work on how aware you are of your body. Azar really slacked off there."

"Huh?" Raven studied her body. "I'm having triplets." She intoned, eyes wide. The girl fainted, falling back on the green mat the soon to be grandmother conjured.

Outside, with his sensitive hearing able to follow everything, Beast Boy stood in shock. Like Raven, he fainted when he heard the word triplets.

* * *

"I need to request a leave of absence." Raven intoned, staring blank-eyed into space.

"Oh?" Robin sighed, looking tired. He studied the girl who was clearly deep in shock.

"Why friend Raven?" Starfire asked.

"I'm ... umm ... pregnant." She didn't meet their eyes.

"Eeeek." Starfire's scream of joy blocked out anything the leader said. "Eeeek." The girl yelled again, not knowing what else to do.

"Oh." Boy Wonder blinked, clearly abandoning any attempt to change her mind. "B's?" He asked.

"Of course." The girl intoned, eyes briefly flashing red. "Whose else would they be?"

"Sorry. I'm just ... umm ..." He shrugged, and then paused. "They?" He asked.

"It's triplets." She replied in a monotone, still not meeting his eyes.

"Oh." He gulped. "I see."

"What will you name them, friend Raven?" Starfire was hovering inches away from the red-faced girl, careful not to touch her.

"I have eight nuttier than a fruitcake emoticlones working on that."

"Emoticlones?" The Tamaranean looked confused. "Fruitcake?"

"Sorry. Seems you'll have to call in some of the honorary Titans to fill the missing slots." Raven turned back to Robin.

"I guess." The boy wearily rubbed his head, and frowned with a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Raven asked. "You look tired and you're clearly stressed out."

"I've just been having dreams." He took a deep breath, looking like he was about to jump off a cliff. "Do you think Beast Boy would mind filling in for you?"

The shocked girl blinked. While they'd wondered how to get the leader to change his mind, they'd yet to figure out how. "I'm sure he would." She smiled.

* * *

End of Story.

I wonder where the story would've went if someone hadn't mentioned the Endless. I don't think I need to say who the man with the bone helmet in the dreams was, or who would've put him up to that task. It was of course Dream of the Endless, while the boy in the dream was Robin. Death would've been the one who put Dream up to it.

Why would Knowledge suggest Alexandria for the name of a kid? She would be thinking of the Library of Alexandria.

Robin asking Starfire out for something to eat would be a sign he's not taking her for granted anymore. That due to the dreams where they all die, he's realized how important she is to him. For that matter, how important all of them are.

Yeah. it's the end of the story. If a tale has a beginning, a middle, and an end, then I think this one has reached the latter part. There can now be no doubt in Beast Boy's mind that he belongs. He knows his mother will always accept him. That Raven will always love him. And that he has a place as a Titan. He's even going to be a father. To add anything more would be just writing for the sake of extending it. I'm glad though that it hit the 100k mark, even if only barely. Hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

_Many thanks to those who read and review. Also many thanks to those who gave me ideas for the story._


End file.
